Karl Kruckeberg Obituary, Death – After a protracted battle with illness, Karl David Kruckeberg, age 70, of White Hall, Missouri, passed away on Thursday, December 8, 2022 at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. He is the son of Walter and Ruth (Eden) Kruckeberg and was born on April 15, 1952 in Alton, Illinois. His parents’ names are Walter and Ruth. It was on October 8, 1982 in Jacksonville, Illinois, that he wed Terry Reno, and she is still alive. Survived by his wife, as well as a son and daughter-in-law, Alex and Cassandra Kruckeberg, all of Jacksonville; one granddaughter, Annabel Kruckeberg, also of Jacksonville; two brothers, Tom (Johanna) Kruckeberg of Coralville, Iowa, and Dick (Robin) Kruckeberg of Sullivan, Illinois; one sister, Kathi (Stan) Zakrzewski of Alton; and a number of nieces and nephews His parents passed away before he did in this life.
Karl was employed by the Illinois Department of Mental Health, first as a psychologist and program director at the Jacksonville Mental Health Center, then as the administrator of the Alton Mental Health Center, and finally as the network manager responsible for coordinating mental health facility services for the counties in southern Illinois. Karl was able to retire at a young age and spent his time working as a woodworker, cultivating flowers, especially roses, shopping for “treasures” at auctions, and redoing his family’s bathrooms and kitchens among other things. He was able to do this because he had saved enough money.
He was willing to take on any project because he was confident that he could figure out how to complete it as he went along, even if he had no prior experience in the field. His ambition in life was to achieve the status of a Renaissance man. It was reported that one of his early bathroom shower installations looked like something the Three Stooges would have done, yet it was functional. He was a pillar of strength and stability for his family, friends, neighbors, and neighborhood, and he was always prepared to lend a hand in whatever capacity he could. His adult life was spent training for marathons, earning a third-degree black belt in Tang Soo Do, and working out with weights and running five days a week until he was diagnosed with amyloidosis, a condition that affects the heart. He was a successful marathon runner.
His desires have been carried out, and the relevant organs and tissues from his body have been donated to science in order to advance our knowledge of and search for a treatment for this extremely rare condition. Additionally, in accordance with his instructions, cremation will be performed on his body after death. The fact that the holidays are so near means that there will be no visiting or service held at this time. At a later date, there will be a party called “Farewell Party.” White Hall’s Airsman-Hires Funeral Home is in charge of making the necessary arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Greene County Historical and Genealogical Society or Pine Tree Cemetery.
