Karen Margaret Peppers, loving mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully at the age of 69 on November 19th, 2025, surrounded by loved ones. 

Karen is predeceased by her parents, Ann and George Kaiser, her brother, Michael Kaiser, and her beloved uncle, Peter Maroney. She is survived by her five children, her pride and joy: Kristin, Jason, Megan, Kathryn, and Kevin. She is also survived by her much-loved bonus sons: Paul Fisher, Rich Flegal, and Tim Rosenberg. Karen was a proud and loving grandmother to Annie, Molly, Elliot, Josephine, and Brecker. She also leaves behind her loving sister-in-law Jackie Fladmark, and her cherished niece Katie Kaiser-Snead. Karen is also survived by her best friend of 50 years, who was like a sister to her, Linda (Joe) Rosa, along with many other dear friends who have become her extended family over the years.

Although Karen often said that all she ever wanted was to be a mother, she mastered that and so much more. 

After graduating from East Rochester High School in 1974, Karen went to school to become a nurse. From that point on, she never stopped taking care of people. She adored her patients and the many friends she made at work. Even as she lovingly raised five children and welcomed her grandchildren into the world, her love and dedication to nursing never wavered. She worked in many local institutions and in many capacities, on nights, weekends, and holidays, for over 40 years. She spent the longest part of her career taking care of patients at Hill Haven Nursing Home, retiring reluctantly following a stem cell transplant that compromised her immune system. She was a talented nurse who trained many others, and impressed her colleagues with her quiet strength and ability to connect with even the most difficult patients. 

Outside of work, Karen loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, and grand-dogs. She enjoyed sewing, reading, watching funny movies over and over, baking up a storm, and taking as many day trips as possible. She was a collector of vintage kitchenware and her biggest claim to fame was when her beautiful pitcher display went “viral” on a collectors’ facebook page. She was a huge fan of John Denver, folk music, the Muppets, and Pee-Wee Herman, and passed along the love of silliness and beautiful music to her kids. It was not uncommon for her to travel an hour or two away just to go to a different Wegmans or scour a Goodwill store for vintage dishes. She shared her love for traveling with her kids and took them on frequent adventures that left them with lifelong memories. She went on epic multi-state adventures with her best friend Linda right up until the end. And she took many 3-hour trips to take care of her beloved Uncle Pete in Utica. 

Karen experienced many challenges through her life, and faced every one of them with steely determination and a frank (and often unexpected) sense of humor. She was dedicated to giving her children the best life she could, doing it with a strong sense of responsibility and unconditional love. She fought a 9-year cancer battle with grit and tremendous willpower. The nurses in the cancer center referred to her as a legend. 

When Karen retired in 2018, her full-time job became worrying about her children and their kids. Even when her health issues took over, she never stopped cheering them on from a distance, or making sure one of them was healthy after a minor cold or injury they had had a month ago. When Karen became very sick, she spent time making sure her kids were okay - she exemplified selflessness and the heart of a nurse right up until the end. 

Karen’s family is so grateful for the amazing care and dedication she received over the last 9 years from her lymphoma team at Wilmot Cancer Center. They are also so thankful for the compassionate end of life care provided by the incredible staff and volunteers at the Webster Comfort Care Home. And a special thanks to Jeff and family at Harloff Funeral Home for so kindly visiting our mother to help her plan her final journey.  

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Webster Comfort Care Home at 700 Holt Rd, Webster, NY 14580, which is operated solely by donations from our community.