Karin McCabe

Karin M. McCabe of Bowie, MD, after a one-year battle with esophageal cancer, passed away peacefully in her Bowie home on Thursday, November 1, 2018. She was 78 years old and was a native of Oregrund, Sweden where she was born to Alexius and Elly Pettersson on March 9, 1940. Her life can be summarized as being kind and good, always putting the needs of others above her own, especially her family.

She is survived in Sweden by her younger sister, Cristina Appelskog. She is survived in America by her spouse of 52 years: Tom McCabe of Bowie, MD, her two children: Jane Marie McCabe-Zeender of Boulder, CO and Nicklas James McCabe of Arlington, VA. Also, their spouses: Florian Zeender of Boulder, CO and Sandi McCabe of Arlington, VA. She left behind four grandchildren: Marcus and Kalea Zeender of Boulder, CO and Ellie and Ainsley McCabe of Arlington, VA.

Karin was educated in Sweden at the University of Stockholm with a degree in Home Economics, specializing in cooking and recipe development activities. Soon after her graduation, Karin fulfilled a dream she had of going to the United States to pursue a career in the test kitchens of a large American food company. But she first had to make a stop along the way by working for one year for a United Nations Swedish diplomatic family in New York City. This was as a cook/housekeeper/entertainment assistant, starting right after graduation in 1963 when she left Sweden and came to New York. That was the year she first met Tom McCabe of Brooklyn, New York, her future spouse.

After working for the UN Swedish family in New York she landed a job with General Foods’ test kitchens in White Plains, New York—fulfilling what turned out to be her first American Dream. She and Tom then relocated to Greenbelt, MD in 1967 and in 1969 they moved to Bowie. She was then a homemaker for ten years. Starting in 1978, she pursued what turned out to be her second American Dream, a career listing and selling Real Estate for 42 years, starting with McKee Realty in Bowie and later with Long and Foster Realtors in their Bowie and Crofton, MD offices. She loved that job and made many friends along the way and was inducted into the Prince Georges County Association of Realtors Hall of Fame. She became an American citizen in 1996.

Besides cooking and homemaking, she loved sports of all kinds --- especially ice hockey. Her father in Sweden, Alexius, also loved ice hockey. Because of this she brought the love of this sport to America where she was a big fan of the Washington Capitals and its star Swedish player, Nicklas Backstrom, who helped the Capitals win their first Stanley Cup Championship in the Spring of 2018. She witnessed it all and was very happy about it before she passed away in November, 2018. In addition to sports, she loved all outdoor activities (following a big Swedish tradition). This included picking blueberries on many summer trips to Sweden, swimming at the Pointer Ridge Pool in Bowie (with all her “noodle” lady friends), walking, hiking and riding bikes --- especially on all the Bowie bike trails.

She loved traveling with her immediate family members -- especially to Sweden and other beautiful places in America, like Boulder, CO-- to enjoy the outdoors and to visit family and friends. She enjoyed being an active member of Maryland’s Swedish-American Drott Lodge, and local knitting and reading clubs. Finally, she had a lot of fun playing cards with her grandchilden (especially the game of “Hearts”), and watching movies of all kinds—especially with close friends and grandchildren. Her favorite movies were based on Swedish ABBA songs: “Mama Mia” and its newly released successor “Mama Mia - Here We Go Again”.  She saw that movie one more time with all four grandchildren on the weekend before she passed away.

A private memorial service will be held in Boulder, CO sometime next spring followed by a similar service in Oregrund, Sweden over the summer of 2019 where her immediate family will gather with her Swedish friends and relatives to say a final goodbye. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made, in her name, to Hospice of the Chesapeake, 90 Ritchie Hwy, Pasadena, MD 21122 or at www.hospicechesapeake.org.