Maria K. Caran, an accountant at Penn’s department of Facilities and Real Estate Services (FRES), died on December 10, 2020. She was 52. 

Ms. Caran was born in Queens, NY and attended Cardinal Dougherty High School there. After obtaining a college degree, she joined Penn’s FRES department in 2008 as an accountant. While at FRES, she helped organize several holiday parties and summer picnics, and won an award for “above and beyond” service to the department in 2015. 

“Maria Caran was a valued member of the Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Accounting team in Facilities and Real Estate Services,” says Karen DiMaria, Ms. Caran’s colleague in FRES. “Maria managed O&M contract accounting with great attention to detail and a commitment to providing outstanding customer service. Maria was always willing to investigate issues and assist others, even when a question was not related to her area of expertise. Maria went above and beyond in every way and strived to be an outstanding performer. She enjoyed participating in FRES engagement committees by decorating the office for Halloween and purchasing treats for the Penn Children Center’s costumed visitors and facilitating the ordering of gifts for a sponsored family at the holidays. Maria had a larger-than-life personality and her presence will be greatly missed by all who were proud to know and work with her.”

Ms. Caran is survived by her parents, Vasa Caran and Dachia; her brother Joseph; her sister-in-law Anita; her nieces, Adriana and Isabella; her fiancé Patrick Connors; and her fiancé’s daughters, Kellie, Katherine and Patricia. 

The memorial service was private because of COVID-19. In lieu of flowers, donations in Ms. Caran’s memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association at http://main.diabetes.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Main_memorial.