Karen-Jean L. Munoz-Garanin

Dr. Karen-Jean L. Muñoz- Garanin , 75, passed away August 5, 2014, peacefully with her immediate family present at Community Hospice of Northeast Florida after battling with recently diagnosed Pancreatic Cancer.  She was born in Arlington Heights, Illinois.  As a youngster she was active in taking piano lessons, tennis and in the Thespian Society. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and was a member of the Kappa Delta Sorority at Lawrence University.  During her college career she received a Fulbright Scholarship to study Spanish poetry and culture in Bogotá, Colombia, where she returned after graduating, to teach English and immerse herself in the culture. She also published a poetry book, Pasos Hacia Mañana (1961), with the help of her first husband with whom she also collaborated in many Spanish literature and translation projects . She took opportunities to study abroad in Mexico even with her family in the later 1960’s then received her Masters from the University of Kansas; later a Doctorate in Medieval and Comparative Literature from the same.

Throughout her teaching career she traveled to many Hispanic countries including Mexico, Spain and Europe encouraging her students through Studies Abroad as well as countless student projects including plays and videos, passing on the passion for language and culture. Through a college she worked in, also helped produce an instructional video entitled “ Tapas y Tostadas ” as another way to promote language learning. As a linguist, was also interested in other languages, as well as teaching French and Russian.  She enjoyed travel on her own to places in Spain (i.e. Barcelona, Andorra) and also Russia as a delegate with the Sister Cities Project between Jacksonville, Florida and Murmansk, Russia in this significant renewal of relationships between the two cities. She traveled with this project for a 2 ^nd year accompanied by her 2 ^nd husband, also of Russian decent and the love of her life.

Throughout her life she taught with a passion, loved traveling, music, culture and research.  In the late 70’s was involved in promoting and performing in jazz and music circles in Springfield, Illinois, where she also taught Spanish.  During this time renewed her studies on the piano and took the opportunity to study at a Summer Music Camp at Berkley School of Music in Boston. On her return from Boston, formed a small jazz combo called “Marabunta,” continuing to promote jazz in the community.  She also was very active in teaching women’s studies, including having a radio show on women in jazz.

For the last 28 years she lived in Jacksonville, Florida after she re-married 30 years ago, and taught Spanish for 18 years, retiring from Florida State College at Jacksonville Florida, where she was a highly respected professor of Spanish, Chairman, and Dean of Humanities.  Previous to that, she taught for nearly 15 years at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Illinois.   At both facilities she was instrumental in the installation of the Language Laboratory to make language learning more accessible to students. She was also one of the selected teachers in Advanced Placement Testing of Spanish students across the country. She received many awards through her lifetime for academic and noteworthy achievements including the acknowledgment in the Who’s Who book for excellence as a distinguished educator among America’s teachers.

She will be remembered as a loving, practical traveler, lover of life, wife, mother, sister, aunt.  She is survived by her husband, Victor Val Garanin and daughter, Victoria Muñoz who lives in Connecticut.   She is also survived by her brother John Rudoph Lacina and family; and niece, Jennifer Kimball and family who live in the Chicago area.  A memorial will be held in the Jacksonville area by her immediate family at a later date and a small funeral service will be held in Illinois near her birthplace, TBA.  In lieu of flowers donations may be sent to The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer , 1111 Stewart Avenue, Bethpage, New York 11714, in memory of Karen-Jean L. Muñoz.

A Dignified Alternative-Hatcher Cremations, 3063 Hartley Road, Suite 7, Jacksonville, FL 32257 (904) 260-2522