Ripley, Karen
RIPLEY, Karen Newell
On May 17, 2023, Dr. Karen Ripley was accepted into the Lord's loving arms. Dr. Ripley, 79, was a resident of Stone Mountain, Georgia and an active member of Smoke Rise Baptist church. Karen was a devout Christian. We remember her as a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. Performing as a choir member and a church soloist was one of her greatest joys. Born in Columbus, Georgia, to Lovett and Martha Newell, Karen lived most of her life in the Atlanta area. She received her bachelor's degree from Georgia State University following which she taught High School English. She married William "Bill" Ripley in 1972. Karen went on to graduate from Georgia State University's Counseling and Psychological Services Program, receiving her Ph.D. in 1996. She stayed at GSU as a faculty member, teaching graduate students and counseling clients. She was a passionate advocate for people with mental illness and served as an advocate for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Karen was a gifted musician and artist, singing soprano. Her music repertoire included stints with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus and singing some jingles for commercials. Her paintings are primarily oil and watercolor. She is survived by her husband, William; her children, David, Jonathan, Alan, and Joanna; her daughters-in-law, Marian, Mea, and Jessica; her grandchildren, Bryan, Michael, Caroline, Christopher, Madeleine and Will; her sister, Mary Newell McCullough; and brother, Richard Allen Newell. Services will be held on June 10, 2023, at 10:00 AM at Smoke Rise Baptist Church, 5901 Hugh Howell Rd, Stone Mountain, GA 30087. The service will be streamed live at https://smokerisebaptist.org/karen-ripley/. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you please send donations in her memory to The Shepherd Center (https://foundation.shepherd.org/) the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (https://www.pwsausa.org/) or to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (https://www.nami.org/Home).
