Karen S. MacKay, 39, Was Renowned Cartoonist

Karen S. MacKay died at her home in West Tisbury August 13, after two years living with cancer. She was 39.

Karen was the web administrator for the Martha's Vineyard Times, and also an award-winning cartoonist and a writer. In 2004, she published the Vineyard Wilderness Calendar 2005: 12 Months of Living Local on Processed Insights, illustrated with her drawings, each brilliantly illuminated by her gentle, quirky, prodding wit and warmed by her richly compassionate nature. For this sweetly blended mix of personal qualities, she was much loved by colleagues and friends, as well as more casual acquaintances.

Karen regarded herself with the same ironical glance she directed at Vineyard life. Of herself, she wrote in an introduction to her calendar, entitled What Really Happened . . . : "I don't know how I got into this. One moment I was a realist portrait painter and the next I was drawing E-Z Bake Ovens and space trash. I drew my first cartoon in October 1988, when I was going to school full-time at the Rochester Institute of Technology, working part-time, renovating a farmhouse, rehabilitating two abandoned horses, eating lots of pop tarts and generally lamenting my life. My friend Jonathan Levitin suggested I might feel better after a quick lunch at the Burger King drive-thru. My burger had no buns. That afternoon, I drew What Really Happened: the Burger With No Buns, which was the first of a series I drew on large sheets of paper I found thrown out in the RIT basement. When I showed these to my illustration professor, Alan Singer, he said, ‘These are the most dangerous ideas you've had in a long time.' I'm still not sure what he meant, but stay away from fast food."

Karen (MacDowell) MacKay, daughter of Kay and Ewald Schneider, grew up in Rochester, N.Y. She earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in illustration and painting and a degree in graphic design from the Rochester Institute of Technology, a master's degree in library science from the University of Buffalo, and a master of fine arts degree from Goddard College. She had also completed two years' work toward a doctor of philosophy degree in integrative technology and creativity at the Union Institute of Ohio.

Karen worked as a senior technical writer in California and at the Xerox Corporation in Rochester for several years. She was the assistant director of the Oak Bluffs Library for one year before joining the Martha's Vineyard Times in February of 2003.

Karen is survived by her husband Jack MacKay, whom she married on October 15, 2004. Jack is manager of Alley's General Store in West Tisbury. He was at Karen's side when she died.

She is also survived by her parents and half-sisters Beth and Debbie. Along with the kind and capable Hospice volunteers, Karen's longtime friend Betsy Bevan assisted her and Jack at the end of her life.

A memorial service will be held on Martha's Vineyard in mid-September at a date to be announced. Donations in Karen's name may be made to Hospice of Martha's Vineyard, P.O. Box 2549, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557.