Karel O. Mattison of Edgartown and Vero Beach, Fla. died peacefully on Oct. 3. She was 80. The cause was heart failure related to her battle with cancer.

Born on June 16, 1941, the only child of Delphine Bentkamp and George Oliver, Karel grew up living with her mother and grandparents on an estate overlooking the Hudson River. She enjoyed a wonderful childhood full of pets, animals and travel. Through her father, a professional polo player, she became an accomplished equestrian.

She attended the Marymount School and graduated from Vassar College in 1963. She married Mark H. Mattison in 1966 and they raised their three children in Indiana and New Canaan, Conn, spending magical summers in Edgartown.

She held numerous volunteer positions in the schools and was always the first to be involved or help when needed. During summers and later when she had retired to the Vineyard, Karel continued her volunteer work, serving as president of the Chappaquiddick Beach Club and as a board member at the Boys and Girls Club and the Edgartown Golf Club, and leading tours at Polly Hill Arboretum.

She was a member of the Edgartown Yacht Club, an avid golfer, and enjoyed playing bridge, walking on the bike path, and spending time at the beach. However, her greatest passion was spending time with her seven grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her husband Mark, who died in 2017. She is survived by her children, Delphine Morton, Graham Mattison, and Alissa Mattison-Nosal, and her grandchildren, Oliver, Brenner, Ridder and Hunter Morton; George and Caroline Mattison; and Katie Purda, as well as her sister, Mimi Oliver Boyle.

A memorial service will be held in Edgartown in late June of 2022.

Donations can be made to the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard at www.animalshelterofmv.org or P.O. Box 1829, Edgartown, MA 02539