Karl F. Pelkan, Iii

With his wife at his side, Karl Francis Pelkan, age 65, died at home January 21, 2025, after months of battling an aggressive cancer that just could not be conquered.

The eldest of four siblings, Karl was born in Southern California and raised in the Napa Valley. He graduated from Oregon State University (OSU) in Corvallis, OR in May 1983 with a B.S. degree in Construction Engineering Management from the School of Civil Engineering. Karl then worked in OR, CA, VA, and WA State for general contractors specializing in building and heavy civil construction. Most of his career was in the Seattle area as project engineer for The Vemo Company and Tri-State Construction and then senior project engineer for Gary Merlino Construction Company, Inc.

While at OSU, Karl participated in recreational folk dancing on campus and in the Corvallis community. Dancing remained his lifetime joy and wherever he lived he sought out a folkdance group. While working as field engineer on a marine project in Newport News, VA in 1987, Karl strolled in one Friday night to scout out the Virginia Beach Folk Dancers and met Kitty. It was pretty much love at first dance! They settled in Seattle, married, and continued to dance, dance, dance.

Karl had a hearty laugh, a sly wit, and an analytical, inquisitive mind. He was extremely observant and quite clever at figuring out how all manner of thingamajigs worked. A good listener, he applauded the success of others and encouraged people to follow their dreams. In addition to dancing, he and Kitty enjoyed traveling to locales near and far and solving crossword puzzles together. Karl’s other pursuits included genealogy, computer technology, number puzzles, maps, and learning the history of people, places, and things. He was devoted to his family and treasured his friends. He is and always will be deeply missed. As a dance friend since OSU days wrote, “He is still in my heart, gentle funny soul that he was.”

Karl is survived by his wife Kitty; his mother Betsy Pelkan; sisters Dr. Kathleen Pelkan and Alexandra Olenczuk; and sister-in-law Pamela Pelkan. He was preceded in death by his father Dr. Karl F. Pelkan, Jr. and his younger brother Stephen E. Pelkan.

Funeral service and interment of ashes will be April 26, 2025, 2:00 p.m., at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in West Seattle, 3050 California Ave. SW.

Remembrances in honor of Karl may be made to: Tundra Women’s Coalition, PO Box 2029, Bethel, AK 99559.

- Care Entrusted to Emmick Family Funeral Home -