Karen A. Mattson of Shelter Island passed away at Peconic Bay Medical Center on Tuesday, July 24, 2012 after a long battle with cancer. She was 55.

Born in Brooklyn on October 4, 1956 to Ruth and Charlie Mattson, Karen’s family was related to the Duvalls of Shelter Island and she made her first visit here as a baby. That connection became closer when her grandfather moved to the Island in 1965.

She worked here every summer after that, mostly in the kitchens of various restaurants. The Mattsons moved to Shelter Island permanently in 1974 and Karen graduated from Shelter Island High School that year. She followed up her restaurant experience by going to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. After graduation, she worked as a chef in several local establishments.

Later she followed an interest in nursing, earning her RN degree from Suffolk Community College. She specialized in home health care and is remembered by many for her compassionate care of home-bound elders.

In 1999, she returned to New York City to care for an aging aunt and worked for the last 10 years at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn.

Throughout the years, Karen was involved with various community organizations, such as the Boy Scouts, and she was an EMT with the Shelter Island Ambulance Corps. Karen was very artistic, known particularly for her realistic pen-and-ink sketches.

She is survived by her son, North Ferry Captain Charles Mattson, and her mother, retired nurse Ruth Mattson.

A memorial service will be held at the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church on Saturday, August 4 at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to East End Hospice would be appreciated.