Evelyn Karen Catarelli

• Evelyn Karen Smith Catarelli
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• April 2, 1954-September 28, 2026
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• Evelyn Karen Smith Catarelli, 72, a beloved mother, daughter, friend, and cherished
• member of the Sebring community, passed away surrounded by the love she gave so
• freely throughout her life.
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• Born in Sarasota, Florida, Karen became a lifelong resident of Sebring in the 1960s.
• Sebring was not simply her home, it was where she built a life filled with love, friendship,
• family, faith, and countless beautiful memories.
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• Karen was preceded in death by her mother, Mattie Smith and her father, Clinton Smith.
• She is survived by her devoted daughter and “light of her life”, Angie Catarelli, who was
• the center of Karen’s world and her greatest source of love and pride.
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• Karen’s faith in Jesus Christ was at the heart of who she was. She loved Jesus deeply
• and strived to live her life according to her Christian faith. Her kindness, gentleness,
• compassion, and willingness to love others reflected the faith she carried in her heart.
• She believed in treating everyone with love and grace, and her life was a beautiful
• example of the light that comes from walking with Jesus. Her faith gave her strength,
• comfort, and hope, and she leaves this world with the promise of eternal life that she
• held so dearly.
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• For more than 40 years, Karen dedicated her life to working at Sebring Animal Hospital,
• a place she loved with all her heart. To Karen, going to work was never simply a job. It
• was going to see her second family every day. She treasured the animals, the people,
• and the relationships she built there over the decades. Her love for animals was just
• one reflection of the enormous tenderness she carried within her.
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• Karen was a kind-hearted, loving, and gentle soul. She had a way of making people feel
• welcome and cared for, and she brought an incredible amount of happiness into the
• lives of those fortunate enough to know her.
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• When she wasn’t surrounded by puppies and kittens, Karen loved spending happy
• moments with her close friends and family. She enjoyed doing all kinds of crafts, sharing
• laughter and conversation, and making memories with the people she loved most.
• Some of her favorite times were the special mother-daughter “double dates” she shared
• with Angie, her best friend Diane Angell, and Diane’s daughter, Kristin Wolfhope. These
• moments, filled with friendship, love and laughter, were precious to her.
• Karen’s gentle spirit, infectious kindness, unwavering faith, and unconditional love
• touched so many lives. She leaves behind not only the people who loved her, but also
• the countless animals she cared for and the many people whose lives were brighter
• simply because she was a part of them.
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• Her love will live on in her daughter Angie, in her family and friends, in her second
• family at Sebring Animal Hospital, and in every person and animal that entered her life.
• Karen never met a stranger, because to her, everyone was simply another person she
• had yet to love.
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• She will be deeply missed, forever cherished, and always loved. Her earthly journey is
• complete, but her eternal life with Jesus has just begun.
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• Colossians 3:12
• “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with
• compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
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• Celebration of Life Service:
• Saturday October 17, 2026
• 11:00am
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• Grace Bible Church
• 4541 Thunderbird Rd
• Sebring, FL 33872

Arrangements entrusted to: Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home Sebring, Florida www.stephensonnelsonfh.com