Karen Ann Liles, 79, of Wendell, North Carolina, passed away peacefully at home on July 1, 2026, after a courageous battle with cancer. Her wish to remain at home, surrounded by the love and support of her family, was honored.
Karen was born on May 13, 1947, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Ralph and Christina (Bohinski) Wagner.
Karen’s love of music began at an early age. She grew up surrounded by it and taught herself to play the six-string guitar, finding joy in music throughout her life. After her mother’s passing, she wrote and dedicated the song “What’s Christmas Like In Heaven” in her memory. Christmas was her favorite season because of its celebration of the birth of Christ, and her Christian faith remained the foundation of her life, giving her strength, peace, and hope.
Karen devoted more than 40 years to caring for others in the medical field. She began her career in the blood bank at Columbia Hospital in Wisconsin before moving to North Carolina in 1984. She later worked with Dr. Ralph Lowey in Wendell and ultimately retired from Raleigh Urgent Care after many years of dedicated service alongside Dr. Allen Mask. She was known for her compassion, professionalism, and the genuine care she showed every patient.
In the words of Dr. Allen Mask, “We will miss her dearly. She contributed so much to her family, community, and the medical profession. Your mom enhanced life for so many of us, personally and in the excellent care she provided for our patients.”
Karen is survived by her devoted husband, Walter Liles; her daughter, Christina (Joseph) Miceli: her son, Todd Liles; her granddaughter, Jostina Miceli; and her grandson, Todd Preston McKown.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Ralph H. and Christina (Bohinski) Wagner; her brothers, Richard “Dick” J. Wagner and Ralph L. Wagner.
The family would like to thank the the staff of Transitions Hospice and the Wake Medical Care team for the kindness, compassion, and care they showed Karen and her family during her final days.
To honor her spirit, expressions of sympathy may be made as a contribution directly to the family.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
Arrangements are with Strickland Funeral Home & Crematory, 211 W. Third St., Wendell, NC, www.stricklandfuneral.com
2 Comments
Karen Liles was an incredible human being, simply the best. We worked together over 26 years in my medical clinic. She was kind, attentive, professional and paid keen attention to detail. As a medical technologist, she oversaw all aspects of our medical laboratory. She always scored perfectly on our CLIA quality control assessments. In terms of nursing care, she was our patient’s absolute favorite! Karen provided such high quality care in every aspect of our practice. More importantly, our families were dear friends over the years. We watched our children grow up and become wonderful human beings. We thank God for Karen Liles.
Rest in peace my sweet Aunt. Gonna miss our grocery store meet ups. Love you and your beautiful soul.
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