Karl Kracklauer ’67

Karl Kracklauer died unexpectedly of a heart attack Jan. 10, 2012. We lost a deep person with a clear and questioning mind who never encountered a person or a topic he was unwilling to engage.

Coming from Conroe (Texas) High School, Karl majored in philosophy at Princeton. He joined Ivy and roomed with Aybars Gurpinar in Cuyler. He said, “Princeton kept me humble and proud.” Visits to Aybars 35 years later spanned the spectrum from trips to Freud’s house to discussions of nuclear
safety.

Karl earned a Ph.D. in phenomenological psychology from Duquesne and continued learning exuberantly throughout his life. His aim was to carry the philosophical methodology into psychotherapy.

Karl’s extensive and varied professional career included practicing neuro- and clinical psychology, counseling middle-aged couples, writing screenplays, researching the social psychology of digital communication, serving as a management consultant, and teaching at colleges and universities in California, Canada, and Pennsylvania. For the last three years, after reconciling with his father, he became an enthusiastic director of Sparkler Filters, a family company.

Karl is survived by his brother, Aloysius; sister Mary; and many nephews and nieces. They will greatly miss his humorous repartee, his intellectual curiosity and conversations, and his critical analysis of the social and political issues of the day.