Members of the Rochester community are mourning the loss of an active community member with deep roots in Rochester.
Karen Trueheart passed away last week after battling cancer. She was a spiritual teacher and counselor for Christ Episcopal Church in Pittsford, and served as Board Chair of the MK Gandhi Institute. Executive Director Kit Miller says Trueheart was a living example of the principles on which the institute was established.
"The way that she embodied the work of nonviolence and social justice in the world was so beautiful to be around," Miller said. "One thing that's irreplaceable about Karen was just the role that she and her family has played in Rochester for so many years."
Truehart's father, Mark Ellingson, was president of Rochester Institute of Technology from 1936 to 1969, and her grandfather was president prior to that. She and her husband Harry Trueheart have been involved in many nonprofit and community organizations including WXXI and the United Way.
Trueheart met the Dali Lama several times.
A memorial service is scheduled for next Saturday, September 15, at Rochester Institute of Technology.