Martha Jean Arey Karlak, age 74 a resident of Seymour, CT, passed away on February
23, 2026, at Shady Knoll Health Center after a battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Martha was born on January 8, 1952, in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, the daughter of the
late Kenneth and Eleanor Arey. Martha grew up in Manchester, CT and graduated from
Manchester High School in 1970 and Colby College in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in
American studies. She and her husband, Michael, were then married on June 21st,
1975.
A born-again believer of Jesus Christ for the entirety of her adult life, Martha has been a
regular attender at Cornerstone Church in Oxford, CT for the past several years.
Martha was a resident of Seymour, CT for the last 48 years where she and her husband
raised their five children. She was a homemaker for her married life with several years
spent as a substitute teacher in the lower Naugatuck Valley. Her interests included
sewing, knitting, crocheting, long rides on the weekends and refinishing furniture.
Martha is survived by her husband of fifty years, Michael Karlak, her daughter Naomi
Bell and her husband Owen, her sons Matthew and his wife Georgianna, Aaron and his
wife Sarah, and Seth and his wife Kerstin, her brother Bruce Arey and his wife Deborah,
her sister-in-law Karen Oko and her husband Fred, and 9 grandchildren, 3 nieces and
one nephew.
In addition to her parents, Martha is predeceased by her daughter Rebecca Karlak, her
granddaughter Madeline Bell, and her father and mother-in-law, Andrew and Helen
Karlak.
Family and Friends will be received on March 6 from 5pm to 8pm at Miller Macari
Family Funeral Home, 260 Bank Street, Seymour, CT 06483. A funeral service will be
held on March 7 at 10am at Cornerstone Church, 656 Oxford Rd (rt 67), Oxford, CT. A
private burial will follow at a future date at Mountain Meadows Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation.
To leave an online condolence, please visit www.millermacarifh.com