Evelyn F. Karet

WORCESTER - Evelyn F. Karet, Scholar of Italian Renaissance Art, is dead at 88. Evelyn F. Karet, a distinguished scholar of Italian Renaissance art, and Veronese art and culture, died on January 31, 2026 at her home in Worcester, Massachusetts. The cause of death was lung cancer.

Dr. Karet was retired from the faculty at Clark University, where she specialized in Italian Renaissance drawings. Earlier she taught Italian Renaissance Art at Boston College, Wheaton College, Worcester and Framingham State Universities, and Assumption University. She was also Professor of Art History at the University of Georgia Studies Abroad Program in Italy.

Evelyn Farber was born in Worcester, Massachusetts on August 19, 1937, the daughter of the late Massachusetts industrialist and civic leader George Farber and his wife Esther (Wiernikoff) Farber. She graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University, earned an M.A. from Wellsley College and M. Phil. and Ph.D. degrees from Columbia University, Department of Art History and Archeology, in Italian Renaissance Art. Her husband of 51 years, James M. Karet, an entrepreneur in the trade show industry and a lifelong advocate for at-risk children pre-deceased her in 2010. She was the sister of the late Elisabeth Farber Rubin of Del Mar, California.

Dr. Karet was elected “socio onorario” by the Accademia di Scienze e Lettere in Verona, Italy, and was awarded the Diploma di Benemerenza, by the Instituto per la Storia dell’ Arte Lombarda, Universita Cattolica, in Milan. Dr. Karet published books and articles in the United States and Italy. Recent research focused on the history of collecting drawings in early Renaissance Italy. Her research was funded by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, the American Philosophical Society and Columbia University.

Dr. Karet lived several months of each year in Verona, Italy. She and her late husband shared a passion for art, music and travel. In Worcester, she was a member of an Italian language group. She was a Trustee of the Worcester Chamber Music Society; a Corporator of the Worcester Art Museum and Members Council, a former Trustee and Corporator of the Higgins Armory Museum and the Worcester Heritage Preservation Society and a Trustee of the former Worcester Community School for the Performing Arts. She served on various ad hoc committees including the Chairperson, Save the Stubbs Drawing Committee at the Worcester Public Library. Early in her career she was a member of the committee to redefine the position of Art Director of Public Schools. In recent years, she was a member of the Harvard University Institute for Learning in Retirement. She was also a member of the Boston chapter of Save Venice.

She is survived by a son Thomas (Tom) A. Karet and his wife Laura of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a daughter Katherine (Kate) E. Karet and her husband Jeff Levick of New York City and Washington, Connecticut, five grandchildren, William, Charles and Alexa Karet and Liliana and Oliver Levick, and several nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will be held at Temple Emanuel Sinai, 661 Salisbury St., Worcester at 11:00 am on Thursday, February 5th, with internment following at B’nai B’rith Cemetery, 55 St. John's Rd., Worcester. In lieu of flowers the family welcomes contributions in Evelyn’s memory to The Worcester Art Museum and the Worcester Chamber Music Society. Funeral arrangements are under the care of Miles Funeral Home of Holden.

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