Karina Halpert, 78

LAKE KATRINE, N.Y. – Karina S. Halpert, of Lake Katrine, beloved wife, mother, sister and grandmother, passed into eternity after a prolonged illness at Heath Alliance Hospital in Kingston, New York, on Jan. 17, 2023, surrounded by her loving family.

Born of Latvian descent, Karina was born in Bad-Nauheim, Germany, on Jan. 1, 1945, daughter of the late Janis Veselis and late Olga (Breicis) Veselis. Karina arrived in the United States at the age of 4 along with her mother and sister. The family lived in Manhattan, New York.

Karina met her first husband, the late Larry M. Hrichi, in Manhattan, who immigrated to the United States from Morocco as a young adult. They married in Manhattan in 1967 and had two children, daughter Shadia and son Samir. The family moved several times, living in Manhattan, Las Vegas, Nevada and Morocco, before returning to the United States and settling in New York.

On Dec. 24, 1978, Karina met Richard (Dick) S. Halpert, a retired architect, who grew up in Rhode Island. They married on Sept. 3, 1989. Karina and Dick shared their home in Lake Katrine and loved to travel. In addition to traveling, Karina enjoyed gardening, music, art, and spending time with her three grandchildren, Samara (16), Silvio (14), and Shadia (11).

Karina graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a BA in Fine Arts, was a longtime member of ASK (Art Society of Kingston), and was a talented artist of oil and watercolor paintings.

She is survived by Dick, her loving companion of 44 years, her two beloved children, Shadia Hrichi, an author living in Northern California, and Samir Hrichi, owner of Ship to Shore Restaurant in Kingston, NY, her three grandchildren, as well as her loving sister Aija Blumfelds, nieces, nephews, and other family and friends.