NT members may recognize her name (and possibly know her) from Braintalk (Stroke forum) as kdagain.

I knew Karen from Braintalk (BT) as KD and as The Sojourner or Soj through our memberships in Brigadoon and ShockProof, which she founded. Her name was Karen Gans. She passed away May 25, 2008; the cause was cardiac arrest following an extended illness.

It's no exaggeration for anyone to state that her giving extended beyond life: see her obit.

There's not much I can say about her that others haven't already relayed (far more eloquently); the following respresents some of what people have shared:

http://www.e-patients.net/archives/2...orial_epa.html
http://lifetimestwo.blogspot.com/200...s-offline.html
http://energizedaccounting.blogspot....sojourner.html
http://www.the-avastar.com/second-li...-in-real-life/
http://tributetothesojourner.wikispaces.com/
http://dreambits.blogspot.com/2008/0...-into-sun.html
http://www.koinup.com/Polysilox/work/37328/
http://sl-art-news.blogspot.com/2008...-sojouner.html
http://sl-sexualhealth.org.uk/?p=149
http://www.holymeatballs.org/2008/05...of_an_onl.html
http://jeanricardbroek-architect.blo...sojourner.html
http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2008/05/sojourners-end.html

To coincide with her memorial at Saint Cyprian Church, there will be a memorial in SecondLife (SL) on Saturday, June 7 at 8 a.m. PST and 11 a.m. EST at the sim Dreams - the border between Dreams and Dreams East: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dreams/237/121/25 .

SL had an important role in Karen's life. That's evident. What makes it even more apparent is hearing it in her own words: http://www.lcmedia.com/mind447.htm. ("Listen Now" is the link to select"; Karen/Soj, as well as John Lester, was interviewed by John Hockenberry.)

Six days before she died, Karen gave a talk in SL entitled “Survivor perspectives on stroke." Excerpts are posted: Here.

Her friend Jim may have said it best: "Giants often come in small packages, and we have just lost a true GIANT!!!!!!!!!"