A warrior. A gentle soul. A blessing.
That’s how Karen Beyer’s friends and former colleagues are remembering the woman who was committed to helping those with mental health issues — and to others in general — following her death Sunday at age 80 after a five-year battle with cancer.
Beyer’s career in social services in the Elgin area spanned 50 years, nearly 20 of which was spent as executive director of the Ecker Center for Behavioral Health, based in Elgin. She retired in 2019 but remained active in issues centering on mental health services, most recently being appointed to Elgin Township’s new 708 Mental Health Board.
“Her approach, personally and professionally, was simple and sincere. She lived without pretense, unapologetically herself, comfortable in her own perfect imperfection. And how many of us can say that?” friend George Rawlinson wrote on social media.
Rawlinson met Beyer shortly after she was named Ecker Center’s executive director in the early 2000s. Beyer helped the agency through a number of significant challenges, including financial uncertainties from state budget cuts and an ever-growing need for mental health programs, he said.
“Her professional accomplishments go on and on,” Rawlinson said. “Karen was all about making a difference in people’s lives, remembered or not, lived out in Elgin or on a larger stage. Hers was a remarkable journey, a journey of relevance.”
Karen Hufford LeBuhn, who worked with Beyer at Ecker Center, said the Elgin woman had three master’s degrees and won a Supreme Court case for privacy in therapy, “yet she was cloaked in humility and grace.”
The U.S. Supreme Court case, Jaffee v. Redmond, involved a Hoffman Estates police officer at the center of a police-involved shooting. Beyer was ordered to turn over the officer’s therapy records in connection with a lawsuit over the shooting, which she refused to do.
The Supreme Court’s 1996 decision supported Beyer and expanded therapist-patient privilege rights. “The mere possibility of disclosure may impede the development of the confidential relationship necessary for successful treatment,” the decision read in part.
Friend Jeanette Mihalec called Beyer a warrior in her five-year battle with lung cancer.
“Even after her diagnosis and throughout her treatments, she still dedicated herself to her community,” Mihalec said. “Recently, she was so happy to have been appointed to the Elgin Township 708 Community Mental Health Board.
“Karen Beyer was inspirational to say the least as a woman dedicated to serving those under her care,” Mihalec said. “Karen had a gentle soul and a lion’s heart. Her laugh was soothing. Her caring was incomparable.”
Lore Baker, CEO/president of the Association for Individual Development, knew Beyer through the Elgin social services network. Most recently, they worked together on reestablishing the Elgin Township 708 Mental Health Board.
“It’s a big loss to the community of a strong mental health advocate who really understood community mental health and what was needed,” Baker said. “She was a great person. She fought hard over the last few years. I’m glad she didn’t have to suffer a long time in hospice.”
Rawlinson posted a heartfelt tribute to his friend: “Godspeed, dear friend. Yours was never the loudest voice in the room, but when we turned down the volume, your words were the ones worth listening to. … And they made a world of difference to all of us, for all of us.”
No funeral arrangements have been made public as of yet.
Freelance reporter Mike Danahey contributed.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
Source by www.chicagotribune.com
