Karla R. Derbaum

Karla R. Derbaum, 65, of New Jersey, formerly of New Kensington, went to be with her Lord on Monday, March 7, 2022.  She was born in New Kensington to Raymond J. and Eunice M. Hurlbut Derbaum.  She graduated from Valley High School in 1974 and Clarion University of Pennsylvania in 1978.

Karla’s first job was with Westinghouse in Pittsburgh where she was an auditor.  When her division was sold to North American Phillips, she transferred to that company.  Eventually her job took her to New Jersey.  She switched jobs and began to work at Paradigm Technologies for her BFF Bridgette Hobart, who was like another sister.

Karla had a full and interesting life.  She loved collecting Erte prints, attending theater productions at Princeton, working at the Princeton Renaissance Festivals and June Fetes.  She handled registration at the Lake Hopatcong Open Water Swim Festivals, a charity for local animal rescue.

Karla was a lifelong member of the First Evangelical Lutheran Church and a proud member of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA).  She was also an organ donor. 

With an uncanny knowledge of trivia, Karla was a ringer at Trivia Pursuit and other board games. She loved spending Christmas and the Fourth of July with her sisters, nieces and great nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her beloved aunt and uncle, Arthur and Frances Dalsas, and her sister, Emilee May Derbaum Boland.  She is survived by a sister, Mercedes Derbaum, a brother-in-law, Michael Boland, three nieces, Heather DeLucia, Nicole (Jeffrey) Brown, and Bethany (Jacob) Jones and nine great nieces and nephews Dominic DeLucia, Emilee Brown, Nicolas DeLucia, Anna DeLucia, Lilly Brown, Mary Kate DeLucia, Michael Jones, Elisabeth Jones, and Kathryn Jones.

Aunt Karla will be sorely missed by her family and those who loved her.

Visitation will be from 2-4 P.M. & 6-8 P.M. on Sunday, March 13, 2022 at Ross G. Walker Funeral Home Ltd., 217 Freeport Road, New Kensington. Funeral will be at 10 A.M. on Monday, March 14, 2022 at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 221 Ridge Avenue, New Kensington. Interment will be at Plum Creek Cemetery. Please visit www.rossgwalker.com to leave an online tribute or memory of Karla. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to No Kid Hungry. 

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