Karen Lee Pyle
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June 11, 1944 - November 6, 2025 |
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Karen Pyle passed away on November 6, 2025, at 81 years of age. She was born June 11, 1944, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Dr. John Harold and Ruth Schultz. Karen was raised on Ryan Lake in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, with her three siblings: Pam, Jean and Bob. She loved rowing around the lake in the summer and ice skating in the winter. A loving family, the proximity of the lake, and close friendships between the many young families in the neighborhood provided a wonderful childhood environment. Karen graduated from Robbinsdale High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from St. Olaf College in 1966, a degree that was respected nationwide. Her nursing class developed a strong sense of camaraderie because of the intense coursework and off-campus experiences at regional hospitals, forging friendships that lasted a lifetime. After college, Karen moved to Seattle, Washington, and began her nursing career in the newborn nursery at UW Hospital. She met her husband, Bill Pyle, in the Couriers group at University Presbyterian Church (UPC) where they were married on December 20, 1969. Karen worked at an OB/GYN clinic and the newborn nursery while Bill completed his graduate degree.
Following Bill’s graduation, they moved to West Virginia and began their family. Karen was a devoted mother to her two young children, Ruth and David, and found ways to leverage her nursing background to prepare women for childbirth and infant care. She hosted La Leche League meetings, providing parent-to-parent support for successful breastfeeding. She also started a Lamaze class to assist pregnant women with child delivery and was instrumental in gaining access to the delivery room for Lamaze partners.
In 1977, Karen and Bill moved to Moscow, Idaho. Karen remained a stay-at-home mom while the children were young. To be available to her school-aged children outside of school hours, she worked part-time as a church secretary for many years before returning to her nursing career at an OB/GYN clinic and later taking a position as a secretary at the University of Idaho. After retiring in 2004, Karen and Bill moved to Sitka, Alaska, to volunteer at Sheldon Jackson College for a year before returning to the Seattle area to be close to their children’s families. Church was central to Karen’s life. In Moscow, she was active in the First Presbyterian Church, serving as a deacon, playing in the handbell choir, and participating in Sunday school and women’s Bible studies. After moving back to the Seattle area, she and Bill returned to UPC where she served as a deacon and joined the Bible Babes women’s Bible study. She volunteered as an ESL teacher in the Language Institute at UPC for more than 10 years, teaching English to foreign students at the University of Washington and their spouses.
Karen’s lifelong hobby was gardening. She found joy cultivating food and flowers alike but was known for her love of flowers. In every place she lived, she expanded garden spaces to coax a riot of color from the ground. Karen loved experiencing wildlife in her backyard. While living in the house she and Bill built on 10 acres outside of Moscow, the highlight of any day was a moose visit; everything stopped as she watched one of these majestic animals wend its way through the property. She enjoyed watching deer and birds at her homes in the country and outside of Seattle.
Karen was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2018, and the disease gradually robbed her of her sharp mind, enjoyment of hobbies, and zest for life. She remained at home with Bill until shortly before her death and passed away under hospice care at an adult family home during 2 weeks of respite care. Karen and Bill were married for 55 years. Karen is survived by her husband, daughter Ruth and son-in-law Dale, son Dave and daughter-in-law Linda, and grandchildren Abby and John. Besides her immediate family, Karen is survived by her two sisters, Pam Hille and Jean Herbert, and her brother, Bob Schultz, and his wife, Mary. Pam’s husband, Bob Hille, and Jean’s husband, Jim Herbert, predeceased her. Karen will be missed by her family, her church family, and her friends. Memorial Service Donations | |
