Karen (Kari) Eileen Beims

Karen Eileen Beims, 45, died unexpectedly at her home in Baltimore City on Tuesday, February 21, 2006. Born and raised in Harford County, she attended John Carroll High School and received degrees from University of Virginia and University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

In her early career she worked as a graphic designer and marketing director for Lightnet and Maximus, Inc. She returned to college to receive a degree in secondary education after which she taught in North Carolina, and at Aberdeen High School and Parkville High School in Maryland. She worked briefly as the Communications Director for the Baltimore International Culinary College and as the Marketing Director for the Baltimore Bicentennial Celebration. In 1999 she became the sole proprietor of her own company, Dezining One Visual Communications, which she continued until her death. Since 2002 she has been an adjunct faculty member of the Art Department at Prince George’s Community College. She was a member of Mensa and several professional organizations.

Her passions were her art and cooking. She has had her work presented at UMBC and Prince George’s Community College. Ms. Beims had an individual show in the gallery of Essex Community College. In 1997, she received the People’s Choice first place award in The St. Mary’s Annual National Oyster Festival and later won first place in the Phillip’s Seafood Fourth Annual $1000 Crab recipe contest with her winning recipe on the menu at Phillip’s Crab House.

She has been active in the Highlandtown Community Association, recently designing a soon to published Highlandtown Cookbook and was a founding member of the Highlandtown Wine Festival.

Ms. Beims, known to her friends as Kari, is survived and will be missed by her parents, William and Constance Beims of Darlington, Maryland; two brothers, William Douglas Beims, his fiancée Dawn Matzen of Highlands, Maryland, Brian Henry Beims of Napa, California; her sister, Patricia Shea Gannon, her husband, Jeffrey, and their two daughters, Brittani Shea Gannon and Samantha Rhea Gannon of The Woodlands, Texas; her grandparents, Frank and Grace Ross of Fort Walton Beach Florida and Mary B. Beims, of Mount Dora Florida; and her lifelong pal, Tyrone Gaither of Rockville, Maryland.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Karen Beims’ name may be made to the Creative Alliance 3134 Eastern Avenue Baltimore, Maryland 21224.