One of Central Valley’s first AIDS activists, Cynthia Brazil Karraker, dies at 69

For Cynthia Brazil Karraker, the way to fight AIDS was clear.

“A family of people, traditional or nontraditional, full of love, acceptance and forgiveness,” she once wrote, outlining the mission she took up after her husband died from AIDS-related complications in 1985.

“Oftentimes in the land of HIV/AIDs, folks are known by a number. Well ... For all, I have this promise. God knows us by our name. All of us!” she wrote.

Karraker was one of the Valley’s first AIDS/HIV activists, the founder of the nonprofits All About Care and Camp Care and the person responsible for getting the AIDS Memorial Quilt displayed in Fresno.

She died Sept. 21 at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. She was surrounded by a tight-knit group of caregivers and friends, said Gary Steinert, who considered Karraker his best friend.

“She was ready to go. She was at peace,” Steinert said.

Karraker was born Feb. 20, 1950, in Visalia. She graduated from San Joaquin Memorial High School in Fresno. Before becoming a full-time advocate, she was a corporate buyer for Village East, an offshoot of the Gottschalks department store chain.

In 1979, she married into the prominent Karraker family. Her husband “RD,” or Randall Dean Karraker, was a well-known Christian musician in town. His father was the Rev. Bufe Karraker, a charismatic pastor who built Northwest Church into one of the Valley’s largest congregations.

They were married for just shy of six years when “RD” died at the age of 32.

At the time, AIDS carried with it a huge stigma.

In a 2005 story in the Fresno Bee, Karraker recalled the care her husband received at the then-Fresno Community Hospital. Employees were so afraid they would open the door and push in his food tray on the floor.

“They knew what disease was in that room,” Karraker said.

His death pushed Karraker to share her story and to begin helping AIDS patients and their families.

In 1990, she started All About Care to help those women and children. In 1996, she founded Camp Care, a free summer camp that allowed patients with HIV or AIDS some needed fun and time away from home.

Karraker was a self-contained social service agency, Steinert said.

“She was it, as far as an HIV/AIDS agency.”

As such, she always made herself available for those who needed help or comfort. She was known to help people pay electric bills or cover rent. It wasn’t unusual for her to call last-minute and cancel plans because she was needed somewhere else, Steinert said.

Her friends always understood.

“She was unparalleled in that way,” he said.

Steinert isn’t sure what he, or the community, will do, now that she is gone.

“Life won’t be the same without her,” he said, “or because of her.”

“That’s the bottom line for me.”

Details: A viewing will be held 4-7 p.m. Tuesday at Whitehurst Sullivan Burns & Blair Funeral Home 1525 E. Saginaw Way, with a rosary to follow. Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday at The Shrine Of Saint Therese 855 E. Floradora Ave.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in the memory of Cynthia may be made to All About Care 4974 N. Fresno St., PMB 156, Fresno, California 93726.