Obituary of Karen Piplani

Karen (Radcliffe) Piplani formerly of Iowa City, died peacefully at her home in Chapel Hill, NC on Feb 15, 2026 after a long illness. She was with her daughter, Mira, and husband, Ratan (Ray), at the time of her passing.

She was born in 1941 to Christian Elmore Radcliffe, MD and Maxine Madden Radcliffe in Iowa City, Iowa. She graduated from Iowa City High School in 1959. She graduated from Duchess Community College, Poughkeepsie NY with an AAS in 1977, and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill with a BS in 1988.

She married Ray in 1961, in Iowa City and they had celebrated their 65th anniversary in early February with a Red Velvet Cake, her favorite.

She worked as a Registered Nurse in New York State and North Carolina. She enjoyed her time working for Eleanor Kane MD, in Poughkeepsie NY and Village Family Medicine in Chapel Hill, NC.  She raised her children in Poughkeepsie, NY. She served as a den mother, brownie troop leader, and was active in school activities, including car pooling for the RCK track team. She moved to Chapel Hill, NC in 1983.

In her retirement years she served as an Orange County, NC election official.

She was active in the American Association of University Women. She was an avid birder and enjoyed participating in the Chapel Hill Bird Club’s field trips and bird surveys.

Karen played the cello and had a deep love of baroque and string music. She loved going to chamber music concerts at Tanglewood and Duke University and played for the Village Family Orchestra. She was a quilter and knitter and enjoyed collecting fabric and yarn.

She is survived by her husband Ratan/Ray, daughter Mira, and son Michael (Dakota Dunes, SD- Susanne), grandsons Nicholas Piplani (Rochester, MN- Heidi) Christopher Piplani (Burnsville, MN), granddaughter Tracy Piplani (Lowell, MA- Jose Villalobos) and 5 great grandchildren and her sister Marnie Radcliffe (Bloomington, MN)

She was predeceased by her parents and sister, Christine Radcliffe.

A time for family and friends to gather remembering Karen will be held on Friday, June 19th. from 4 to 6 pm at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City.  Private family interment services will be held at Oakland Cemetery where she will be buried with her parents and sister.  To share a thought, memory or condolence with her family please visit Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service website @ www.gayandciha.com.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers contributions be made to the Chapel Hill Bird Club.