Karen Heap

Karen T. Heap, 69, of Robinson, IL, died at 2:43 a.m. on Sunday, January 28, 2018 following a long, hard-fought battle with cancer. She was born on May 5, 1948 in Sullivan, IN, the daughter of A. Keith Thomson & Sophia (Gill) Thomson. She married Jerry Barker on October 3, 2014 and she survives. She is also survived by her mother, Sophia A. Thomson (Robinson, IL); by her children, Colin & Leslie Heap (Terre Haute, IN), Jennifer & James Lane (Wahiawa, HI), Jana Poorman (Robinson, IL), and Travis Poorman (Robinson, IL); by her grandchildren, Ariel, Justice, Donnelly, Jameson, and Jenevieve; by her siblings, Mary Kathleen Thomson (Bloomington, IN), Andrew & Marilyn Thomson (Marion, IL), and Diana Coulter (Robinson, IL), Elizabeth & Bill Pasco(Murray, KY); by her nieces and nephews, Michael Thompson & Vladimir Stakheev, Justin & Hannah Tryon, Daniel Stout, Matthew Thomson, Claire Thomson, Jeffrey Thomson, Eli & Michelle Coulter, and Ian & Jenny Coulter; as well as her beloved four-legged companions, Sassy, Ellie, Cloe, Alex, Ping, Sage, and Tinker Bell. She was preceded in death by her father, A. Keith Thomson; by her daughter, Stephanie Heap; as well as her brother, Stephen Thomson. Karen graduated from Sullivan High School in 1966. She went on to attend Fullerton College, and then attended Indiana State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She continued to further her education at Eastern Illinois University, where she earned a master’s degree in community counseling in 1997. With these degrees, she went to work for Wexford Health as a contracted psychologist for the Robinson Correctional Center, where she was employed from 2005 until failing health brought her into retirement December of 2017. Her success as a psychologist could be attributed to her wit, insight, yet non-judgmental nature. A time of visitation will be held from 4:00-6:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 4th at the Quail Creek Country Club in Robinson. A Celebration of Karen’s Life will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday at the country club. Memorials may be made to the National Cancer Institute with envelopes available at the country club. The Goodwine Funeral Home in Robinson is in charge of arrangements.