Official Obituary of

Karen A. Rupp Schaller - Class of 1966

November 8, 1948  -  January 16, 2026

Karen A. Schaller Obituary

(nee Rupp) of Pine Hill, NJ

November 8, “NOYDB” - January 16, 2026

Karen A. Schaller, age “None of Your Damn Business,” passed away peacefully with her family members by her bedside at The Samaritan Center at Virtua Hospital in Mount Holly, NJ on Friday afternoon, January 16, 2026.

Karen was the beloved wife of Joseph Patrick Schaller for 35 years, and the loving mother of James A. Keller Jr. (Janice) of Melbourne, FL. She was the adoring sister of Norman R. Rupp and the dear sister-in-law of the late Susan Marie (nee McCullen) Rupp, both of Pine Hill. Karen was the cherished aunt of “her boys,” Shawn N. Rupp (Mark) of Egg Harbor City, Ryan M. Rupp of Stratford, and Scott P. Rupp of Pine Hill, and the treasured great-aunt of Dylan and Colin. She is fondly remembered by her extended McCullen, Pfeiffer, and McClaskey families, friends, and neighbors. Karen was predeceased by her first husband, James A. Keller Sr., her parents Norman A. Rupp and Wilhelmina “Mina” L. (nee Trainer) Rupp, and her sisters Joy Herb, LaRae “Lolly” Dougan, Sandy Grone, and Donna Rupp.

Karen was born in Philadelphia, PA and grew up in the Kensington neighborhood. She graduated from Jules E. Mastbaum High School, and was later employed at The Scoreboard and UPS. Starting as a young girl, Karen enjoyed a lifelong love for dolls, poetry, music, and fast cars. She had many vintage dolls, including an original 1959 Barbie and her precious Ginny dolls. Karen found solace in the quiet rhythm of poetry, especially her favorite poem “Splendour in the Grass” by William Wordsworth. For years, she was hard to miss zipping around the streets of Pine Hill in her bright yellow 1986 Chevrolet Camaro.

A devoted fan of the Philadelphia Phillies, she spent many seasons cheering for her favorite team while clutching her stuffed Phillie Phanatic doll. When the Phillies were losing, she would change the channel to catch up on some of her favorite TV shows, including The Voice, Yellowstone, Dancing with the Stars, and Blue Bloods, or watch her favorite movie Saturday Night Fever for the 100th time.

Music surrounded Karen and she always had the radio on listening to the timeless tunes of her favorites, especially Elvis, Tom Jones, Barbra Streisand, the Eagles, Billy Joel, Elton John, and of course, “Her Michael,” Michael Bublé. Karen, A.K.A. “The General” to Pat’s “The Colonel,” was a sight to behold in the front row of many Doug Church (“The Voice of Elvis”) shows clapping and dancing along, and she often graced the stage with her beautiful voice to sing duets with The Duprees, Kenny Vance, and Tom Sage (“Neil Diamond”).

Karen and Pat enjoyed many NYC trips to see Broadway shows, as well as RV excursions with their bulldogs, Gipper and Tugger, to the Florida Keys, particularly the relaxing allure of Islamorada, and Tennessee, particularly charming Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg in the Great Smoky Mountains. Karen also loved spending time with and creating memories with “her boys,” especially weekend NYC trips with Shawn, Philadelphia Zoo trips with Ryan, and Phillies’ games with her godson Scott.

A woman of exquisite style and immense spirit, Karen lived her life like a Broadway musical - with flair, melody, and a touch of drama for good measure. She appreciated a pair of fabulous high heels and the perfect matching pocketbook. She loved shopping, especially at craft shows, “The Kmart,” antique stores, and Hobby Lobby. Whether she was decorating her home with a meticulous eye, tending to her gorgeous gardens, or curating her cherished doll collection, she had a rare gift for making the world around her more beautiful and more vibrant. Karen’s passion led to her and Pat creating their own real-life, Victorian “dollhouse” in Pine Hill, which was a great source of pride and joy for them both.

In her garden, everything grew. In her home, everything shone. And in her heart, there was endless love for her family. She made every holiday and family gathering brighter and filled with laughter. Karen lived by the sentiment that even as time passes, we find strength in what remains behind. She leaves behind a world made significantly more beautiful by her presence, and a lasting legacy of kindness to the family she cherished that will miss her every single day. She is forever in our hearts.

Family and friends are invited to attend her visitation on Saturday morning, January 24 from 10:00am to 11:00am at the Ora L. Wooster Funeral Home, 51 Park Blvd., Clementon, NJ 08021. Funeral services will begin at 11:00am. Entombment will follow at Berlin Cemetery, 40 Clementon Rd, Berlin, NJ 08009. In lieu of flowers, Karen requested donations kindly be made to: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 https://stjude.org/donate/ or the Susan Marie Rupp Foundation, P.O. Box 715, Clementon, NJ 08021 https://smrfteal.org/donate/. Share your fondest memories and photos of Karen on her Tribute Wall at OraLWoosterFuneralHome.com.