Doctor Karen Louise Weber-Mullican of Decatur, 67, and formerly of Kennesaw, GA and New Bern, NC, passed away on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, at 1pm. A memorial service will be held at a time to be announced later.
Dr. Weber-Mullican began her higher education at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing before earning a Doctorate in Optometry from the University of Houston in 1986. In 1991, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), of which little was known at the time, and she would stubbornly battle against this disease for the rest of her life.
Forced to withdraw from a successful Optometry practice, she focused her efforts on fighting against the multiple layers of unnecessary obstacles preventing the availability of prescription drugs and devices to chronically and terminally ill patients. She was instrumental in authoring federal laws enabling the compassionate use of medicines not yet fully approved by the FDA. She was invited by Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich to assist him and his legislative team in authoring the Healthcare Reform Act of 1997, and was a guest of both he and President Bill Clinton to the bill signing and 1997 State of the Union Address in Washington D.C.
She was also a dedicated mother and was devastated upon the passing of her only daughter, Katy, in 2015. She is survived by her husband, Tom of Decatur; Mother Betty Weber of New Bern; step-son, John Mullican; and sisters Marisue Shannon and husband Russ, Nancy Fisher and husband Terry, and Jeane Meller and husband Jeff.
She was preceded in death by her daughter, Katy Mullican, father, Dave Weber, great-aunt, Nina Rusk, and cousin, Nancy Brooks with whom she shared a special relationship.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN. 38105 and a local NO-Kill animal shelter of your choosing.
