Karli had a magnificent spirit. From the time she was a child, she was eager to love, share, and sacrifice for others. When Karli was four years old, she became a cheerleader for the White Oak Falcons. She was a bundle of joy who later became a basketball player and then a majorette.
From an early age, Karli had a kindness that radiated from her. She always put other people – especially those she saw struggling – before herself. Karli worked as a hairstylist and makeup artist, but her true calling was as a caregiver. She found happiness in helping others.
On September 13, 2021 we lost our daughter Karli and her unborn child. Karli was 26, and so excited to become a first-time mother. She planned to name her son Zachary. No parent should know the anguish of losing a child, but our heartache is made more wrenching because it was brought about by a senseless act of gun violence.
We are determined that Karli’s legacy will not be defined by the wrong that was done to her but by the love she showed to the world. So, as we grieve, we are also doing what Karli would have done: striving to lift up those who are struggling. We’ve launched the “Karli Short Better Tomorrow” Scholarship Fund at Penn State Greater Allegheny, in our hometown of McKeesport, PA. The Funds supports students who have been affected by gun violence and provides them with the tools and support to leverage their own talents and hard work to help create the “Better Tomorrow” that Karli would have wanted.