Karen Durant
Karen Durant has lived in Leicester for nearly her entire life. She attended Leicester schools and went on to complete courses in higher education.
After she finished school, Karen married Jim Durant, her husband of 38 years who worked at UPS and was an active member in the Leicester Lions’ Club. Karen has three children, Robert, Andrew, and Thomas. Rob is married to Beckie, and they have a child, Landon, who is Karen’s pride and joy. Robert is a local artisan who sells hand-made leather goods through Deja New and other outlets. His business is called Off the Bench Leatherworks. Thomas works in construction and was extremely instrumental in helping Deja New renovate its current location.
As a young mother, Karen owned and operated Cakes by Karen in the center of town, supplying the town with delicious baked goods for nearly 20 years. She later became an EMT for the Leicester EMS Department and worked in that position for many years. Throughout her career, Karen volunteered her time, especially as an active member of the Leicester Mother’s Club.
A few years ago, Karen started an in-home crafting business called Karen’s Little Bow-tique. She makes beautiful hand-made hair ribbons and headbands for all occasions. As a crafter, she approached Deja New about the possibility of selling her wares at the shop and then stayed to help volunteer. Now she is a member of the Board of Directors. In her words, “I believe strongly in the cause. I have always liked volunteering, and this is a good way to continue giving back to the community.”