Karen Schupak MD '84

Karen D. Schupak passed surrounded by her loving family on Wednesday, January 16, 2019, after eight years of living fully in defiance of lung cancer. She was a passionately devoted wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, colleague and physician. Born in The Bronx on September 24, 1958, she grew up in Jericho, LI with her parents Sybil and Lawrence Schupak, and sisters Dina (Leyden) and Leslie (Hymowitz).

A 1980 graduate of Cornell University and 1984 graduate of SUNY Buffalo School of Medicine (now the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences), she completed her medical training at NYU and Memorial Sloan Kettering, where she joined the Radiation Oncology faculty in 1990. In 1996, she was part of the first group of doctors to establish the MSK Regional Network and held several leadership positions in that capacity. She was an ardent believer that the science of medicine must be coupled with authentic humanity and recognition of the profound ministerial role in the physician-patient relationship.

Karen was a role model for numerous young physicians and inspired them to practice with both intellect and empathy. She was a beloved colleague within the Institution and in Central New Jersey where she practiced at the MSK Regional Network sites for over 20 years. She was recognized as “Mentor of the Year” at MSK in 2012 and honored by the American Cancer Society of Central New Jersey at their gala in 2017 for her contributions. On May 18, 2019, the American Cancer Society of Central New Jersey will honor Karen posthumously with the Karen Sperling Greene Humanitarian Award.

Karen was deeply curious about how things worked, sparked by her Grandma Fannie. Fannie, a pattern maker in couturier firms, could deconstruct a complex ball gown in a few seconds and know how to recreate it. An example of her handiwork lives at the Smithsonian as she was the pattern maker for Jackie’s wedding dress when she married John Kennedy.

Karen would recall fondly sitting at her grandma’s feet as a three year-old as Fannie would make gowns for her dolls from scraps of beautiful fabrics. Karen channeled this experience as she spent her career perfecting custom radiation plans for her patients.

Her greatest joy was her three wonderful children; Allison, Samuel and William, and the profound moment when they came into the world with hearty roars — air becoming breath. Married to Christopher Horan for 24 years, she was proud of the family they raised together. Married to Jesse Pleet four months ago, they enjoyed five years of deep adoration, fun and adventure. Witty and eloquent with words, she would always capture your attention
whenever she spoke. She will be sorely missed. She was a unique force of nature.