Karen Leigh (McCartney) Hanisak
January 18, 1956 – September 4, 2026
Karen Leigh (McCartney) Hanisak, age 70, was born in San Diego, California and passed away peacefully in her home in San Tan Valley, Arizona on Friday, September 4, 2026.
Karen graduated with her master’s degree from James Madison University, VA and over her career worked as both a paraprofessional and Special Education teacher. She worked for 20 plus years at Covington City Schools in Virginia and 10 plus years for the Florence Unified School District in Arizona.
Karen’s generous and loving heart was evident to everyone who knew her, both in and outside the classroom. She loved sewing and had a lifelong passion for collecting anything Snoopy-related. Her home was decorated in Peanuts themes inside and out, her outfits always featured Peanuts characters, and she even drove a Snoopy car. She delighted in wearing her Snoopy costume alongside her husband dressed as Charlie Brown. Karen also enjoyed traveling across the country to visit family, attend Peanuts conventions, and participate in Snoopy-themed events.
Karen’s passion for education shone through in her tireless work and volunteer efforts. She created engaging learning games, helped decorate classrooms for thematic units and seasonal celebrations, and collaborated with fellow teachers on lesson plans. She thoughtfully provided notebooks, pencils, and other supplies for students in need, remembering each child’s favorite snacks and bringing them for those who couldn’t bring their own. Whether grading papers, preparing materials for classroom parties, chaperoning field trips, or adding books to classroom libraries, Karen always looked for ways to help without being asked.
Her caring nature extended beyond the classroom as she made special goodie bags for children and ensured every child felt valued and supported in their learning journey. Karen’s legacy lives on in the countless children and teachers whose lives she touched through her unwavering dedication and selfless spirit. Her memory will continue to inspire others to approach life with the same compassion, creativity, and commitment to making every child’s educational experience meaningful.
Karen is preceded in death by her parents Kenneth Clarence and Pauline Elizabeth (nee Sterling) McCartney as well as her brother David McCartney.
Left to cherish her memory include her husband Joseph Hanisak of Arizona, daughter Amy (Joshua) Haynes of Virginia; grandchildren: Zachary and Bella Craft, Amberlyn Haynes; siblings: Kevin (Kate) McCartney of Maine, Paul (Linda) McCartney of California, Kathleen (John) Ritter of Arizona; sister-in-law MaryAnn (Donald-deceased) Densler of Pennsylvannia; and two nephews.
The family wishes to thank all of Karen’s wonderful and loving friends from throughout the years for their support and condolences. There will not be a funeral or service, according to Karen’s wishes.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the following organizations are welcome:
Charles M. Shulz Museum at: [http://at https://schulzmuseum.org/get-involved/donations/]
and Canine Companions at https://canine.org/donate-now/ .
Photos
Amy Haynes 
Linda Lucia 
Jasmin T 
Debbie and Pete Hawthorne 
Clarisa Jacinto 
Clarisa Jacinto 
Chuck Macy 
Linda Yovnello (ECC) 
Lisa Wong 
BJH
I just loved my mother. She was so giving, loving, supportive, and selfless. There’s so many good things I could say about her. I just know she’s in heaven. She adopted me, she wanted me, she chose me and gave me such a good life. She will be deeply missed. Love always, Amy
I had the pleasure of being the neighbor of Karen and her husband Joe….Karen was a wonderful lady who had a heart of gold! She will definitely be missed by our family and we know her legacy will live on! May God rest her soul and may her memory be eternal 🙏
We are very heartbroken 💔 for this loss. We love you Karen and our kitty’s will miss you babysitting them ! She loved and spoiled them always 🐾
My daughter had the opportunity to be around Mrs. Karen on a daily basis at Anthem K8. Every holiday Mrs.Karen always knew just how to spoil her kiddos! We now have a little Snoopy collection of our own because of the gifts she shared. We always loved seeing her Snoopy car in the school parking lot! What a blessing it was to be around such a caring and loving soul. She will truly be missed.
Karen was a wonderful neighbor and friend. She was kind and always pleasant. I will miss her here in the neighborhood. She was one of the best.
I was so blessed to have known Karen and to have had her as my paraprofessional for more than five years.
When I moved to Arizona and started teaching in 2013, I experienced a bit of a culture shock because teaching in Arizona was different from my experience in Baltimore. During that transition, Karen became such a wonderful and helpful partner in the classroom. She supported me, guided me, and helped make the transition so much easier. Over the years, Karen and her husband Joe became like family to me.
Karen truly had a heart of gold. She was always generous with her time, talents, and love, especially when it came to helping students and teachers. She loved working with our students and had such a special way of showing them how much she cared. She especially loved giving them little treats and Snoopy-themed toys, which brought so much joy to the kids. Even my daughter became one of the kids she showered with treats and thoughtful gestures.
Karen was also always looking for ways to help fellow teachers. Even during the summers, she would ask if there were projects she could work on, such as creating teaching materials. She gave so freely of herself, never expecting anything in return, and never hesitated to help whenever she could.
To me, Karen was more than a paraprofessional and a coworker. She was someone who cared for me deeply and thoughtfully, and she became like a second mom to me. I will always be grateful for her kindness, encouragement, and the many memories we shared.
I miss her deeply, and my heart is broken knowing that I will not see her again in this life. But I find comfort in knowing that she is now at peace and reunited with our Heavenly Father.
Karen touched so many lives through her kindness, generosity, and love. I feel incredibly blessed that our paths crossed and that I had the privilege of knowing her for so many years. She will always have a special place in my heart, and I will carry her memory with me always.
You will always be loved and remembered forever, Karen. Rest peacefully. Until we meet again.
I was so blessed to have known Karen and to have had her as my paraprofessional for more than five years.
When I moved to Arizona and started teaching in 2013, I experienced a bit of a culture shock because teaching in Arizona was different from teaching in Baltimore. Karen was a very helpful partner in the classroom. She helped me through my transition, and over the years, she and Joe became like family to me.
Karen had a heart of gold. She was always generous with her time and talents, especially when it came to helping kids and teachers. She loved working with students and loved giving them treats and toys, especially Snoopy-themed ones. Even my daughter became one of the kids she showered with treats and thoughtful gestures.
Karen also loved helping teachers. She would ask if there were projects she could work on during the summers, such as making teaching materials. She was always willing to share her time and talents and never hesitated to help whenever she could.
Karen was so caring and thoughtful toward me that she became like a second mom to me. I will always be grateful for her kindness, support, and all the memories we shared.
I miss her so much, and I feel so heartbroken knowing that I won’t see her anymore. But I find comfort in knowing that she is now at peace and is with our Heavenly Father.
Karen touched so many lives through her kindness, generosity, and love. I feel incredibly blessed that our paths crossed and that I had the privilege of knowing her for so many years. She will always have a special place in my heart, and I will carry her memory with me always.
You will always be loved and remembered forever. Rest peacefully, Karen. Until we meet again.
Karen was a remarkable and generous woman who made everyone smile with her presence. She was a dedicated volunteer at East Coast Snoopy Collectors who just loved organizing the carnival and Spike Bingo at our events these many years. Our events will miss her terribly as will all who had the pleasure of knowing her.
My thoughts and prayers to Joe and the entire family. Karen was such a wonderful, caring, thoughtful person. She was such a large part of ECC and always ready to help. She will be sorely missed by all
I had the pleasure of meeting Karen through another Peanuts collector, Jim, who was helping me find Linus figurines for my daughter, Sarah. Karen responded and generously sold me her complete set of Linus Blanket figurines. I will be eternally grateful to both Jim and Karen for this incredible act of kindness. It was the beginning of a wonderful friendship.
My husband, Patrick, Sarah, and I were blessed to attend a Beagle Fest and an East Coast Collectors event with Karen and Joe. We feel so fortunate that our shared love of collecting brought Karen and Joe into our lives. Karen became a dear friend and was such an incredibly kind and generous person.
Karen will always be a part of our lives and will live on through the priceless Peanuts pieces from her personal collection. These special items will be cherished forever by both Sarah and me, not only as treasured pieces of our collection, but also as beautiful reminders of Karen and the kindness she shared with us.
Karen will be deeply missed, and we feel so grateful and blessed to have had the opportunity to know her.
Lisa, Patrick & Sarah
Karen was a kind person and will be deeply missed. She was always very generous with her time and gave so much of herself to the East Coast Collectors.