Karen Job Hagler
1947 - 2024
Karen (Nana) Job Hagler, 76, ascended to rest in peace on August 01, 2024. A devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, her spirited nature lives on via her family and the hundreds of young lives that she positively influenced as an educator.
As she was born into an Air Force family, Karen’s childhood was spent in many places. Post-WWII, she could recall living in Europe and later crossing the ocean back to the US on the Queen Mary.
In the US, she graduated from Fayetteville high school, class of 1965, and went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts degree from Methodist College, class of 1970. While working full-time, she attended night classes to earn her Master’s degree in Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She began her educational career in Cumberland County, NC. Following the birth of her daughter, she taught at schools in High Point, NC. At Fairview Elementary school, she taught mostly second grade. Partway into her career, she transferred to Northwood elementary school, where she built a Reading Recovery program. She treasured when a student gained confidence and recognized that he or she could read. Her dedication helped hundreds of students become literate, and her success was recognized at the state level by the Governor of North Carolina.
She met her second and forever husband on a blind date arranged by mutual friends, Glenn and Joy Deck. In the spring of 1990, she and Philip Hagler were married in a ceremony at her aunt’s home in south Georgia.
Karen was a woman of strong faith; she had a charitable and kind heart. She consistently tithed and donated to many charities. Throughout life, she retained a sense of wonder, marveling in learning about the days of her loved ones, daily routines like feeding the neighbor’s cats, events like the changing colors of leaves in the fall, the discovery of a ladybug in the house or a whole sand dollar on a beach.
Karen is survived by her husband Philip Hagler of Winston-Salem, NC, brothers Eric Job of Sandpoint, Idaho and Karl Job of Elma, Washington, sister Mary Ellen Job of East Point, NC, daughter Kim Porter, grandson Abram Porter, granddaughters Kira Porter, Julian Taylor and Virginia Taylor.
The family will receive friends for a celebration of her life at Bethany Baptist Church at 600 Old Hollow Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27105 (corner of NC Hwy 8 Germanton Road and Hwy 66) on Thursday, August 8 at 2 pm. The family would also like to thank all of the healthcare providers that supported Karen and her family over time, including the Sticht Center, Novant/Forsyth Medical Center, and Well Care Hospice,Inc. In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to Well Care Hospice, Inc, 146 Dornach Way, Bermuda Run, NC 27706.