Karen Silverstein, Documentary Filmmaker
Excerpts from Legacy.com – 11/15/2022
Karen Silverstein passed away peacefully after a courageous battle with ovarian cancer on November 11, 2022, in the San Francisco Bay Area, surrounded by her family.
Beloved wife of Greg Huber for 31 years, and loving mother of Lucas and Natalie Huber. Dear sister and sister-in-law of Jill (Jerome Dobson) Silverstein and Gail Huber. Beloved daughter of the late Merle “Ruffy” and Marcelyn “Marcee” Silverstein. Dear daughter-in-law of Geneva Huber. Loving aunt to Morris and Lizzy Mills, and dear cousin and friend.
Karen was an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker. She dedicated her life to telling stories and giving a voice to those who often were not heard. Her award-winning film, Gefilte Fish, was screened all over the world.
She spent many years as an editor and producer at WGBH, and at a host of other public television stations, creating everything from history and science programs to children’s television, such as the series Zoom, Arthur and Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman.
Beyond her passion for filmmaking, Karen was a loving dog mom to Taro, Stella, and (the late) Scruffy. She was a loving friend to many, and her unique way with words and humor will keep generations in stitches. She was an outsized personality, a life force, and, in a word, “lovable”…
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial gifts be made in Karen’s memory to support ovarian cancer research to the UCSF Foundation, P.O. Box 45339, San Francisco, CA 94145. Please make checks payable to the UCSF Foundation and write “in memory of Karen Silverstein” in the memo line.
Karen Silverstein passed away peacefully after a courageous battle with ovarian cancer on November 11, 2022, in the San Francisco Bay Area, surrounded by her family.
I missed out on a great longer lasting friendship as I only knew her for a brief but rewarding time through my daughter who loved her like a sister. I did get to experience her vivacious personality and enjoyed every interaction. I am happy to say I had a chance to work with her for a short time documenting and recording a project she was working. She was so positive about my contribution that it was a fun and self fulfilling experience for me. She had a special gift of being an uplifting spirit to everyone.
Karen was truly a ray of sunshine. In the late 80s and early 90s, many edit rooms were housed in “110” which was a flimsy bunker comprised of what seemed like a few trailers shoved together at the edge of the parking lot. Karen was one of the 110 regulars. We editors spent a lot of time commiserating with each other (when we probably should have been working) Everyone loved Karen and her huge smile and warm excitement. Who knew those were the good old days?
Gut punch. She was the best. I’ll miss her terribly.
A terrible surprise. Karen lit up every space she entered. She was courageous, original, funny, kind, always generous with her time and talent. Her pride in her husband was palpable; her delight in her children was infectious. We hadn’t seen each other in years but I thought of her often and will miss her greatly.
What Jeannie said. This is heartbreaking.
Such a huge loss! Karen and I worked together on a GBH series on afterschool and I loved working with her. Not only was she an extraordinarily creative and brilliant editor, she was also kind, funny, and a bit crazy (in a great way) and extremely fun to work with. I am so sad and sorry about her passing and my heart goes out to Greg, Natalie, and Lucas. RIP, Karen – and much love.❤❤❤
Extraordinary person in ways too numerous to count. This breaks my heart.
Karen was a joy to work with. And a hoot. As her bio attests, she was widely loved. By her colleagues too.
I am devastated to hear this news. No one in this world who could make me laugh as hard as Karen could. A Karen’s eye view of the world was a joy to be near. Wherever she’s gone I want to go too. It’s where all the fun will be.
So sorry to hear. I worked with Karen on a couple of projects back in the day. I loved her enthusiasm and sense of humor. She was a talented editor and a joy to work with. My condolences to her friends and family.