Karen D’Avanzo of Hampton Bays died in her sleep on October 23. She was 57 and had early onset Alzheimer’s.
Born on September 10, 1957, in Manhattan, she attended the Brentwood Academy of St. Joseph and Adelphi University. She earned a doctorate in psychology from Long Island University. She had worked at Yale University, at The New School and in private practice.
Survivors said that in her short life, she had many rich experiences including skydiving, running marathons, working with refugee children in Malawi, Africa, and working in clinical research.
She is survived by her mother and stepfather, Marie and George Hammer of Hampton Bays; two sisters, Donna D’Avanzo of Arizona and Joanne Maynard of Hampton Bays; and a son, Eli Burrell of Connecticut. She was predeceased by her father, William D’Avanzo.
A memorial is being planned for late November.