Karen N. O'Donnell, 67, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away on November 7, 2022 after a long and difficult struggle with Pulmonary Fibrosis. Karen fought this terrible disease with everything she had, but time and luck were not on her side.

Karen grew up in Winchester, daughter of the late Edward and Mary (Dawson) Neergaard. She graduated from Winchester High School and the Katharine Gibbs School in Boston and went on to work at Massachusetts Financial Services (MFS) as a legal secretary. After meeting her future husband Bert on a ski weekend in North Conway, Karen was smitten and moved to Marshfield when they married in 1981 and set about raising their two children, Katie and Bud. In 1990, Karen and Bert moved to Littles Creek Farm (Bert's family homestead) and began a new journey as antique homeowners and farmers. In addition to all of the responsibilities that come along with being the wife of a merchant mariner, Karen worked various additional part-time jobs with the Marshfield Public Schools, the Hanover Frame Center, and Marshfield Town Hall. She was also a devoted volunteer, and many organizations benefited from her energy and skills over the years, including (but not limited to) the YWCA, Trinity Episcopal Church, the Nathaniel Taylor Fund, and the Marshfield Open Space Committee, not to mention the behind-the-scenes support and encouragement that she gave to her family members' various causes. Karen spent countless hours thinking of ways to improve life for everyone around her.

Karen will be missed more than words can express. Her humor, kindness, and generosity extended to everyone around her.  She had a way of listening to and appreciating people that made her friends everywhere she went. Her family and her farm were her greatest joys in life, and she loved to share them with friends, family, and neighbors. Despite frequently downplaying her innate intelligence and saying that she "wasn't very creative," Karen learned by doing and managed to become a savvy farmer. She took great joy and delight in her beloved dogs, cats, horses, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, alpacas, rabbits and more. She turned the farm into a beautiful and unique home where everyone she loved was able to pursue their passions and interests. The best part about Karen, however, was that she did this with a sense of joy and humor that spread to everyone around her. Karen had the best laugh and sense of fun. Whether it was teaching neighborhood kids to drive her 1971 Volkswagen Bug in the field or bottle-feeding orphan lambs in the kitchen, Karen saw opportunities for fun and took them. She worried a little bit about what other people would think…and then she went ahead and did what she thought was right. Lucky for us, she made great choices.

Throughout the years, Karen was exactly the wife and mother that Bert, Katie, and Bud needed. She encouraged, pushed, and supported them in every way, and she did everything she could to try and stick around for her beloved grandson, LB. She would have loved to watch him grow up. Losing Karen is an immeasurable loss.

Karen was the beloved wife of Bertram W. O'Donnell, Jr., married 41 years. Mother of Katharine N. O'Donnell of Marshfield and Bertram W. "Bud" O'Donnell III and his wife Michaun of Marshfield. Grandmother to Bertram W. "LB" O'Donnell IV of Marshfield.  Sister of Betsy Romano and her husband Robert of Melrose, the late Stephen Neergaard of Acton, and the late Philip Neergaard of Ogunquit, ME. Sister-in-law of Dorothy O. Verdy and her husband Michael of Medway and the late Carolyn B. O'Donnell of West Bridgewater.  She is also survived by many loving nephews and nieces.

Please join the O'Donnell Family to remember Karen at an informal gathering on November 19, 2022 at Karen's Barn (Littles Creek Farm Stand - 73 Summer Street, Marshfield).  Visiting hours will be 10:00am to 1:30pm with a brief Celebration of Life ceremony at 1:30pm.  Burial in Little Cemetery will be private at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice in Karen's honor. Some of Karen's favorites were the Marshfield Food Pantry, Wildlands Trust, the Nathaniel Taylor Fund, and the Animal Protection Center of Southeastern Massachusetts.

For online guest book, driving directions and other helpful information please visit the website macdonaldfuneralhome.com