Beth Davis Karren
July 27, 1941 - August 8, 2017
Surrounded by family, Beth Davis Karren passed away peacefully after a brief battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain tumor.
Beth was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. She was the daughter of the late Ira Davis and the late Min Silverstein Davis. After graduating at the top of her class from Ottawa Hills High School in 1959, she attended Cornell University. A member of Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority and an English major, she graduated in 1963. When trying to decide between law school on the West or East coast, her mother said, “go west, young woman.” She enrolled in Boalt Law School at UC Berkeley, one of eight women in a class of 300, in the fall of 1963.
Shortly after moving to Berkeley, a friend introduced Beth to Fred Karren. They were married in 1964 in Toledo at her childhood home, the beginning of a wonderful 53-year marriage. Fred was the love of her life. Their daughter, Leslie Karren, who was the apple of Beth’s eye, was born in 1967. Together, they enjoyed many family trips throughout the world, and spending time in their vacations homes in Napa and Palm Desert.
After graduating from law school in 1968, Beth continued at UC Berkeley as the attorney for students in the Student Activities office. In this role she advised students on issues ranging from student conduct, landlord tenant disputes and even divorce. When she wasn’t helping students she was generous in her legal counsel to family and friends.
An avid reader, Beth was never without her Kindle or a book. She always shared her reading list with others as well as her interests in theater, shopping, golf, mahjongg, and scrabble. Throughout her life she served on many non-profit boards, including the UC Press and the Berkeley Art Museum. Most recently, she served on the Board of Directors and Chair of the Library Committee of Town & Country Club in San Francisco, and on the scholarship committee at El Dorado Country Club in Indian Wells. She was also a member of Temple Sinai in Oakland, Claremont Country Club in Oakland, and Marrakesh Country Club in Palm Desert.
In addition to being survived by her husband and daughter, Beth is survived by her brother Sam Davis, and his wife Joanne Cuthbertson; her sister-inlaw Ann Karren Gitlis, her nieces Sara Gitlis Schneider (Michael Schneider) and their children Joe and Ben, Hadley Davis Reierson (Lee Reierson) and their children Teddy and Opal, Carrie Davis (Michael Lebovich) and their children Max and Mable, step-niece Jennifer Cuthbertson, step-nephew Alex Cuthbertson (Elizabeth Meriwether), and many extended family and friends. She was preceded in death by her brother Jon Davis.
A celebration of life will be held at Claremont Country Club, 5295 Broadway Terrace in Oakland on Sunday, September 3 at 1:00pm. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to UCSF Brain Tumor Research Center, 400 Parnasus Ave 8th Floor, SF CA 94143; Jewish Home of San Francisco, 302 Silver Avenue, SF CA 94112; or a charity of your choice. A private burial was held.