Karl Wesley Jakel

Karl was born on December 7, 1933, in Glendale California to Cecelia and Gus Jakel. He shared his childhood with two sisters, Jeanann Hammer and Arlene Shrode. He had many wonderful memories and stories to tell about his family.

His childhood was filled with adventures with his best friend Bert Jessop, whose family owned a local dairy farm. Karl spent much time there with Bert, and the two of them managed to continuously get into trouble. When they were about nine years old, Bert taught Karl how to drive the dairy trucks and recounted how the two of them crashed one of them into a tree. They also rode the dairy horses and terrified some women at nearby Griffith Park as they raced by unexpectedly.

Karl attended Herbert Hoover High School in Glendale, CA where he was class president, a football player and helped start a club called the Orions where he became known as “Jake.” He later joined the Coast Guard and studied electronic engineering. He was stationed in the Pacific on an atoll called Eniwetok working on the communications station before completing his service in Washington D.C. When he returned from the Coast Guard with an Honorable Discharge, he attended Glendale College and then UCLA and received his degree in business.

After college, Karl achieved a top government security clearance and worked as a civilian for the Navy on a nuclear submarine to install its electronics. He had a frightening experience when they had an emergency fire drill which he thought was real at the time.

An entrepreneur at heart, he initially started an electronics company before taking over and expanding his father’s successful stucco business and later developed a fire-retardant roof shingle manufacturing company called Cal Shake.

Karl was highly intelligent and had knowledge of many subjects. You could ask him any question about history, and he would be able to answer immediately and in detail. He loved his country, was knowledgeable about politics, and would passionately debate current affairs if friends and family would allow it.

He loved to travel and visited many countries including Greece, where his favorite author Nikos Kazantzakis had lived. He enjoyed boating, cars, bicycling, piloting his airplane, horse racing, sculpting, woodworking, and was known for his ability to tell a great story.

Karl was a devoted husband to Carolyn Wilson for 11 years. He is survived by his children, Lori Jakel, Curtis Jakel, Michelle Trotter, Jodie DeSantis, and many grandchildren.

Karl will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation in his honor. www.T2T.org