She graduated from Sun Prairie High School, attended nursing school in Milwaukee, and married George Koeppl in Germany in 1956. Together they raised their three children in Wisconsin, then in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she lived in the same home since 1968. Gen worked as a clinical nurse and then as a nurse for the Social Security Disability Determination Office for the State of North Carolina for 25 years. After retirement, she became a docent for the North Carolina Museum of Art. Gen was a 60-year member of St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church. She loved traveling, art, classical music, Scrabble, watching Jeopardy every evening, gardening, and family beach trips. She believed in the power of love and was entirely devoted to her family.
Gen was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years George, her sister and brother-in-law Arleen and Louis Oestreicher, her sister Maryellen Blaschka, her brother Anthony Blaschka, her sister-in-law Mary Louise Koeppl and special family friend Rich Blewitt.
She is survived by her brother Paul (Dawn) Blaschka, her sister-in-law Mardy Blaschka, her brothers-in-law Ron Koeppl and Bryan Koeppl, and three children, Christopher (Gina) Koeppl, Heidi Koeppl, and Alex (Cheryl) Koeppl, three granddaughters Serena (Dave) Simmons, Valerie (Robinson) Giraldo, and Carson Koeppl, and four great -grandchildren – Liliana, Isabella, Gavin, and Zackary, special family friends Akio, Noriko, and Alex, Felix, and Akali Koeda, as well as many other family members and friends.
Lifelong-learning and her Catholic faith were extremely important to Gen.
For your consideration, memorial gifts may be sent to St. Raphael’s Catholic Church (5801 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC 27609) or to the North Carolina Museum of Art (2110 Blue Ridge Rd, Raleigh, NC 27607).
A Memorial service will be held on Tuesday February 17, 2026 at 11AM from St Raphael The Archangel Catholic Church 5801 Falls of Neuse, Raleigh, NC
