Obituary: Yvonne Naset Karp - Class of 1937

MADISON - Yvonne Naset Karp, of Madison, passed away on Friday, Dec. 28, 2007. She was born on March 8, 1919 in Stoughton. She graduated from Doty School and Central High in Madison. While in high school she won a national music competition performing a saxophone duet with Stan Thompson. She received degrees in music and Italian from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Yvonne earned her way through the university by directing and performing with her all girl band, Yvonne Naset's Swingettes. Her band played throughout the Midwest and also had a weekly radio program. She was a driving force (one might say "instrumental") in changing the University of Wisconsin Concert Band from an all male organization into one that included women! After graduation, she taught music in the Milwaukee Public School system. In 1943, she married fellow saxophone player and noted Madison athlete and youth director Erin "Ace" Karp. Yvonne lived in Madison nearly all her life including 52 years on Cherokee Drive in the Nakoma neighborhood. During those years she served her community on the Board of Directors of the YWCA, as a deacon of Westminster Church, as Big Chief of the Nakoma League, and as president of the alumni chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota Music Sorority. She thoroughly enjoyed performing in a wide variety of musical settings and often "brought down the house" with her comedic acting with the Nakoma Players and Madison Theater-Go-Round. She also worked for the Madison Public Schools until her retirement in 1983. The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to Bill and the staff at Wynwood West of Madison for providing a wonderfully caring, comfortable home for Yvonne. Yvonne was a devoted daughter, a cherished friend, and an adored mother and grandmother. She lived her life with an unparalleled sense of creativity, style and flourish! She will be dearly missed by her son, Gary (Michaela) Karp of Paris, France; daughter, Cynthy (Ken) Mandl of Richfield Minn.; grandchildren, Karen Mandl of St. Louis Park, Minn., Kelsey (Jeff) Keag of Bloomington, Ind. and Dave (Beth) Mandl of Milwaukee. She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Erin "Ace" Karp; mother, Ella Samuelson; father, Clayton Naset; and step-father, Art Samuelson. A visitation will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 4, 2008, at CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 3610 Speedway Road. The funeral service will be at 12:30 p.m. followed by refreshments and then burial at Forest Hill Cemetery. Memorials are preferred to the American Lung Association or UW-Madison School of Music. Cress Funeral and Cremation Service 3610 Speedway Road (608) 238-3434.
  
Originally published in the Wisconsin State Journal on January 2, 2008    

Yvonne Naset Karp's class year is based on information in the 1937 Orange & Black yearbook, where she is pictured amongst the midyear (February) graduates.