Aug. 3, 1935 – Aug. 29, 2015
Karl Francis Kramer Jr., a 44 year resident of Laguna Beach, passed away peacefully with his family at his side Aug. 29, 2015.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 56 years, Diana Lee Kramer, in 2014.
Born in 1935, Karl grew up in Beverly Hills and attended Beverly Hills and Shattuck High Schools and Loyola University. He enjoyed a successful career in business administration and was a founding member of the Karl Kirchgessner Foundation, continuing his philanthropic work until the very end of his life.
Known to family and friends as “Buzzy,” he was a huge presence. He had a wide and eclectic circle of friends and was an enthusiastic host, sharing home-cooked gourmet feasts and tales of travels to the far corners of the earth, over 120 countries!
Karl and Diana took special delight in their large and loving family. Multiple generations have gathered every Thanksgiving since 1981 (sometimes up to 50 people), reuniting to enjoy grand meals, boisterous conversations, and fun. He was so warm and charismatic that young and old alike jockeyed for the honor of sitting next to him.
Kramer is survived by his children and their spouses, Kathleen and Robert Lacock, Michael and Kathy (McGrath) Kramer, and Stephen and Cheryl Kramer; grandchildren Alicia and Brian, and great-grandchild, Madelyn; sister Karen and husband Ralph Bliquez, and sister Louise Mills and Philip Storrs.
Kramer treasured the farewells that poured in during his final days; these loving tributes describe him as sweet and gentle, adventurous, irrepressible with a contagious positive energy and wicked sense of humor, and “a little bit naughty.” He traveled each and every highway, and intrepid to the end, he did it “his way”.
A celebration of Kramer’s life will be held Saturday, Oct. 10, at Visitation Catholic Church in Los Angeles. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his name to the Karl Kirchgessner Foundation.
