Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory

St. John Neumann Catholic Church

Maryland Veterans Cemetery- Crownsville

Karl Richard Schroeder, 96, of Heritage Harbor, died on Dec. 7, 2023, in his home of natural causes. He was a resident of the Annapolis area for 49 years.  

Born on April 3, 1927, in Easton, PA, Karl served in the US Navy during World War II. He graduated from Lafayette College in 1949 with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering and from Northwestern University in 1951 with a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering. He was a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and a member of Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, and Sigma Xi.  
Karl lived on Long Island, NY from 1951 through 1973 and worked in the defense industry as an electronics engineer, primarily developing aids to navigation systems. He was employed for 16 years at Sperry Gyroscope Co. and 10 years at Litton Systems, both on Long Island, and for one year at ARINC in Annapolis. He ended his career with 17 years of service as an ocean engineer for the U.S. Coast Guard, where he was head of the Acoustics and Optics Section at Coast Guard Headquarters. He retired in 1994. 

Karl was a member of St. John Neumann Catholic Church, American Legion Post 7 and the Fleet Reserve Club. He was an avid hunter, fisherman, bridge player and buttonhook collector.  

Karl is survived by his children, Richard Schroeder and wife, Dr. Jane Burns of Winthrop, MA, Dr. Steven Schroeder and wife, Jean of Lockeford, CA, Linda Wadsworth, Karen Zentgraf and husband, John and Kim Kavanaugh and husband, Dan all of Annapolis; his stepsons, Dr. David Maxcy and wife, Marianna Massed of Amherst, MA and Joseph Maxcy and wife, Pamela of Voorhees, NJ; his grandchildren, Amy, Adam, Abby and Trevor Schroeder, Alyssa Perez, Sean Walsh, Ryan Wadsworth, Matthew Zentgraf, Nicole Campbell, Allison Holley, Karla and Tara Kavanaugh; seven great-grandchildren and his brother, Thomas Schroeder and wife, Nancy of Dunnsville, VA.

Karl was preceded in death by his first wife of 52 years, Jean Katherine Schroeder, who died on Sept. 26, 2005 and his second wife of 15 years, Marion Maxcy, who died on April 4, 2021.

Mass of the Resurrection will be offered at 10:30 am on Monday, January 8 at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 620 N. Bestgate Rd., Annapolis, MD. Interment will follow at 1 pm at the Maryland Veterans Cemetery, 1122 Sunrise Beach Road, Crownsville, MD. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Hospice of the Chesapeake Foundation, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena, MD 21122.  

Condolences may be made by using the Memories tab on this page.

Karl R. Schroeder

Karl R. Schroeder

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