INDIANAPOLIS — Joy comes in many forms. Throughout her life, Karen Reffitt, 72, consistently gave it to others.
"We affectionately called her the 'bag lady' in Indianapolis. I've also heard people have called her the 'umbrella lady,'" said her daughter, Amanda Schwartz.
Swartz described her mom as a kind soul.
"She loved to just be creative in the ways that she showed love to people," Schwartz said.
Many are now heartbroken to learn Reffitt was hit and killed Saturday afternoon as she crossed the intersection of West 71st Street and Georgetown Road. IMPD is still searching for the driver.
According to IMPD, eight pedestrians have been hit and killed so far this year.
There have been a total of 12 IMPD pedestrian hit-and-run investigations in 2024, resulting in four arrests.
"The woman we lost is a beautiful, amazing soul, and we'll never get that back," Schwartz said. "There might be a time when we'll have to think about justice or forgiveness, but for right now, I want to honor the woman we lost — my mom."
Reffitt loved to walk every day and made family wherever she went, even handing out uplifting poetry she wrote on small sheets of paper.
"They even said she was a Kroger fave and that everybody at Kroger was crying when they found out, and that touched my heart," Schwartz said.
A Kroger spokesperson released this statement to 13News:
"Kroger associates and customers all feel the loss because Karen made friends from one end of the store to the other. Now, the associates are gathering the poetry Karen gave them, hoping to create a memory board to honor someone they remember as a sweet woman. Kroger will miss Karen at 71st and Georgetown."
"The rainbow's colors are so neat. The roses bloom very sweet. Bless you every day in a holy way," read one of Reffitt's poems.
Reffitt would sometimes attach a small token to her poems.
"She actually has tons and tons of receipts from organizations, different people thanking her 10-cent donation," Schwartz said. "Anybody and everybody that would accept one, she just wanted to brighten their day."
Reffitt always had a smile for everybody.
"I have also been going though my own struggle with ovarian cancer, and I've been in weekly treatments for the last year and a few months, and she's come to visit me all the way in Ohio to see me during my chemo (treatments)," Schwartz said.
Schwartz said she hopes people remember her mom for the good she brought to people's lives.
"There's a lot of things out there of people saying... don't be a Karen. But my mom's name was Karen, and she's a positive Karen, so if I could leave this with anybody it would be, be a positive Karen in a world of unkindness."