Karl Eugene Schwaab

Karl Eugene Schwaab, 84, of Cedar Falls, passed away at the Cedar Valley Hospice Home in Waterloo, on Friday, April 29 , 2022 after a courageous battle with cancer. He was born in Plymouth, Wisconsin, on January 5 , 1938, son of Lawrence and Ruth (Rieck) Schwaab. Karl graduated from Plymouth High School in 1956, then earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh in 1961. He went on to earn a Master of Science in Secondary Education followed by a PhD of Philosophy in Secondary Education with emphasis on Environmental Education from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

On June 16 , 1962, he married Nancy Christine Pfister in Sheboygan, WI. The couple lived in Carbondale, Illinois where they both received Master's degrees. After Karl received his PhD in 1975, the couple moved with their two sons, Greg and Douglas, to Christiansburg, Virginia, where Karl was an assistant professor and coordinator of environmental education at Virginia Tech. They welcomed their daughter, Wanda, into the family while living in Virginia. The family of five settled in Cedar Falls, Iowa in 1982. Karl taught Student Teaching at the University of Northern Iowa and Math at the Dike-New Hartford High School for a total of 21 years, retiring in 2002. Karl coached women's basketball, volleyball, and track at the high school, focusing on fundamentals and character.

Karl was preceded in death by his parents; and brother, Andy Bohage. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Nancy; sons, Greg (Tracy) Schwaab of Cedar Falls and Douglas (Chicory Poppinoff) Schwaab of Madison, Wisconsin; daughter, Wanda Schwaab of Council Bluffs, Iowa; 6 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren; sister, Kathy Kober of Wauwatosa, WI; sister-in-law, Judy (Phil) Schaefer of Grapevine, TX; brothers-in-law, Gary (Penny) Pfister of Fish Creek, WI and Mark (Margie) Pfister of Ann Arbor, MI.

Karl's memorial service will be held at 11:00 am at Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Cedar Falls on Tuesday, May 3 , 2022, with an hour of visitation prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Bethlehem Lutheran Church or to Cedar Valley Hospice.

Karl was a patient, responsible, fair, humble and compassionate man who lived in the present. He taught us all that it was ok to make a mistake and encouraged people to keep trying their best. He was an athlete throughout his life, enjoying basketball and in his later years, golf. He set the conference record for high jump in college, reaching new heights; 6'2 to be exact.

Karl and Nancy traveled extensively, camping in all 50 U.S. states before retirement. They then visited all 7 continents together; his favorite trip was Antartica. They were campground hosts at The US Army Corps of Engineers campground in Crosslake, MN for many years.

Karl greatly enjoyed cooking for loved ones, listening to music, and dancing. He was a lifelong Greenbay Packers fan. Karl supported the Friends of KUNI Public Radio and faithfully tuned into the Mountain Stage and American Roots programs each weekend. Karl and Nancy volunteered as ushers at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center where they made many friends over the past 22 years. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him.