Karl Herman Goetz

Karl Herman Goetz was born on January 21, 1931, in Brooklyn, New York, to Karl and Luise Goetz. He lived in Brooklyn with his parents and younger sister, Gudrun, until the age of five. Following the death of his grandfather, the family returned to Germany to take over the family land. Karl grew up in the town of Oberderdingen in southern Germany, where his parents ran a farm, and his father also worked as the town baker. During World War II, Karl’s father—whom he was incredibly close to—was conscripted into the German army. There was no choice in the matter, despite his father’s strong opposition to Hitler. With his father gone, young Karl helped run the farm alongside his mother and two grandmothers. By then, his family had grown to include two younger brothers, Philipp and Bernhard. It was a difficult time; after receiving regular letters from his father, the letters suddenly stopped. For more than a year, the family had no idea whether he was dead or alive. As the war continued, Hitler began drafting boys as young as 14, a terrifying prospect for Karl and his family. The mothers in the village vowed to take their children and hide in the mountains rather than allow their young sons to be sent to war. Thankfully, the war ended before that became necessary. Still, Karl’s father was missing. Then, one day, after returning from the fields, Karl spotted a familiar figure walking up the road. His father had come home at last, and their reunion was one of great joy. At 17, Karl returned to the United States alone, as he was a U.S. citizen by birth. His education had been interrupted by the war, leaving him with only a sixth-grade education and little knowledge of English. Undeterred, he worked during the day and attended night school to earn his high school diploma. He initially lived with a cousin in New York and, in 1950, joined the U.S. Air Force, serving during the Korean War. Karl was extremely proud to achieve the rank of Staff Sergeant in just four years. Upon his honorable discharge, he returned to New York, working hard at various jobs and eventually putting himself through college. He began working as a draftsman at Chemiquip, and during this time, he met his future wife, Iole, at a YMCA dance. They married in 1958. Karl graduated from New York City College with a degree in engineering in 1963 and was hired as an engineer at Chemiquip. Later that year, Karl and Iole adopted their first daughter, Louise. When Louise was 18 months old, she was diagnosed with childhood cancer and underwent surgery to remove a kidney, followed by radiation. She recovered well. During the 1960s, while working full-time, Karl founded his own company, Getloi Company, which manufactured pressure snubbers to protect gauges and other instruments. In 1972, he and Iole adopted their second daughter, Susan, whom Louise was allowed to name. At seven months old, Susan was diagnosed with multiple life-threatening congenital heart defects and required immediate surgery. Despite the odds, she recovered well and went on to have additional surgeries as she grew. In 1977, the family relocated to Sterling Heights, Michigan. Karl first worked for a textile trim company supplying General Motors before moving to Chrysler, where he became a senior engineer. In 1980, Susan underwent her second open-heart surgery in New York with her original surgeon. The surgery had complications, and Karl stayed by her side, sleeping in the ICU while Iole and Louise stayed nearby in the nurses’ dormitory. Once Susan was stable, Karl returned home with Louise so she could go back to school, while Iole stayed in New York with Susan during her recovery. Karl continued to call every evening when he couldn’t be there in person and flew back every weekend, bringing gifts from his coworkers and neighbors, as well as toys Susan had requested from her bedroom. In 1983, just two years after graduating high school, Louise’s cancer returned. This time, the battle was much harder. Louise was treated at University of Michigan additionally Karl took her to Sloan Kettering for a second opinion in New York and Dana-Farber in Boston for experimental treatments. Despite his tireless efforts, Louise passed away in 1985, surrounded by Karl, Iole, and Susan. Despite these heartbreaking challenges, Karl prioritized family and travel. Every summer, he took his family on vacations, including several trips back to Germany to visit relatives. He did his best to support Susan through the difficult years that followed. Karl retired from Chrysler in 1990 but continued working as a contracted engineer for various companies, including Cadillac, Voplex, and U.S. Farathane. In 1991, he proudly walked Susan down the aisle when she married her husband, Paul. When Susan later needed to relocate near Paul’s Navy base, Karl helped her move, just as he helped them move back when Paul’s service ended. In 1995, Karl became a delighted grandfather with the birth of Gabrielle. He and Iole were incredibly involved, frequently babysitting and hosting overnight stays. When Gabby was 2½, they took her on a 10-day trip to Georgia and Tennessee. Karl was at every important event in her life—piano recitals, gymnastics performances, school awards, baptism, first communion, confirmation, birthdays, and graduation-the list goes on. The bond between them was extraordinary. They even traveled to Europe three times together, so Karl could show her where he grew up and introduce her to family. Karl was well-read and had a deep interest in history and politics. He loved gardening and took great pride in his fruit trees. Never one to be idle, he stayed active by walking and biking into his later years. He enjoyed museums, plays, musicals, and a variety of music. And especially loved going apple picking at nearby orchards. Even after retiring from engineering, he continued operating Getloi Company into his 80s. Karl was incredibly social and cherished his friendships. He had a special bond with his neighbor, Mary, a fellow widow who often brought him home-cooked meals and checked in on him. She was the last person he spoke to on the phone before he passed, and hearing from her brought him great joy. In 2020, Susan received a heart transplant and was finally able to return home to visit after years of living in Minnesota near the Mayo Clinic. That same year, Karl experienced the loss of his wife, Iole. Just one month later, he witnessed the joyous wedding of his granddaughter, Gabby. In 2023, Susan and Paul moved in with Karl to assist him, though he remained remarkably independent. In November 2024, he moved with them to Wisconsin, to be near Gabby. He proudly announced to everyone that he was now a "cheesehead." Karl and Paul bonded over discussions of engineering and machining, while Paul’s mother, Marcia, who also relocated to Wisconsin, became a dear friend. Karl is survived by his daughter Susan (Paul), granddaughter Gabby (John), and his brother Bernhard(Hildegard). He was a devoted father, father-in-law, and grandfather, known for his wisdom, kindness, and laughter. He is predeceased by his wife, Iole; daughter, Louise; great-grandchild, Josephine Peter; sister, Gudrun; and brother, Philipp. Visitation Wednesday 3-8pm with a 7pm Rosary service at Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons, Inc., 36900 Schoenherr at Metro Parkway (16 Mile). Funeral Thursday, instate 11am at Ss. Cyril & Methodius Slovak Catholic Church, 41233 Ryan Rd. (N. of 18 Mile Rd.), Sterling Heights until time of Mass 12 noon. Interment, Resurrection Cemetery, Clinton Township. Memorial contributions to Ss. Cyril & Methodius Slovak Catholic Church as well as the Disabled American Veterans (DAV.org). are appreciated. Please share memories with the family at their "On-Line Guestbook" at WujekCalcaterra.com

Karl Herman Goetz

January 21, 1931 - March 17, 2025