Ruth Ireland Pralle

Born on May 2, 1942, in Englewood, NJ, Karen was the younger daughter of the late Harold J. Ireland Sr. and wife Jane B. Ireland. Over the past few years Karen suffered from dementia and recently declined during a brief hospitalization. She is deeply loved and will forever be missed by her family and friends.

She is survived by her loving husband of 59 years, Bruce August Pralle of Apex, NC; daughter, Kimberly Anne Hansen and her husband, Kelly and their daughters: Kayla Simms (Sam) of Cary, NC, Julia Talbert (Ben) of Morrisville, NC, Amanda Kennedy (Garrett) of Apex, NC, and Rachel Perkins (Josh) of Raleigh, NC; daughter, Susan Pralle Scudder and her husband Bill and their sons: Will Scudder, Ben Scudder and Nathan Scudder of Apex, NC; daughter Jennifer Pralle Ryan and her daughters: Ashley Ryan and Emily Ryan of Virginia Beach, VA.; brothers: David Ireland (Marsha) of New Castle, IN, Harold Ireland Jr. (Carol) of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, sister: Grace Effler of Cherry Hill, NJ, and brothers: Paul Ireland (Joan) of Westbrook, CT and Peter Ireland (Susan) of Coppell, TX; as well as many beloved nieces and nephews and other extended family.

Karen lived a full and beautiful life surrounded by those who loved her. Foremost, she has been a believer in our Lord Jesus Christ and has followed him all of her days. Her faith has always been evident, along with her dedication to serving others. As a nurse, by profession, she spent years caring for many people. There wasn’t one person who met her who did not know she was a nurse! She loved coming alongside other people and helping them during times of illness and need. Karen especially loved helping families with newborns. She was an educator, teaching LPN’s as well as a volunteer at the Christian Life Home in Raleigh, where she taught new moms how to care for their babies. Karen loved encouraging young families and their children. She also loved her own family very much and took care of them well. Karen enjoyed having her daughters, sons-in-law and grandkids over for holiday meals and other family celebrations and she and Bruce would cook together and make things very special. When the grandkids were young they loved to go to Nana and Pop Pop’s to play dress up and race around the downstairs putting on shows, and in true Irish fashion, dance to the Riverdance soundtrack. In recent years the grandkids embraced Karen’s Irish heritage with a Riverdance all their own; which has become a fun wedding tradition! Karen loved her husband Bruce dearly and took such good care of him throughout their years together. She was a wonderful cook and homemaker. She and Bruce worked as a team to entertain friends and family in their home. Over the past few years, during Karen’s struggle with dementia, Bruce has lovingly cared for and watched over her as she declined. Their love story has been an inspiration and one that points us all to what a Christ-centered marriage truly is. God has always been at the center of their life together. They read the bible together, daily sought the will of the Lord in their lives and prayed for each family member by name. “Nana”, as Karen is affectionately called by her grandchildren, has led a purposeful and exceptional life as a daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, wife, mother, grandmother and dear friend to many. She loved us ALL so well! Although we will miss her dearly, we know we will see her again! We rejoice in knowing she is now made whole and is with her Lord and Savior forever! Amen!

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, November 16, 2024, at 1:00pm in the chapel at the Shepherd’s Church, 6051 Tryon Rd. Cary, NC 27518. A reception will follow.

Because of Karen’s love for young mothers and babies, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Karen’s name and by mail to the Christian Life Home:

Christian Life Home

P.O. Box 31705

Raleigh, NC 27622

“In Memory of Karen Pralle”

Or online via PayPal at https://www.christianlifehome.org/