Karl R9- Garth Eulogy May 3, 2020, Rev 9 professors star gazing

It was Sunday afternoon in early May of 1966.  We were 18 students, meeting for the first time, gathering at the two large staff houses at The Glenora Fisheries Research Station after finishing a year at Uni.  Later, Karl often said, “Unknowingly, we were about to start the two best summers of our lives.”  The bonding with the smaller “group of seven” guys during the following four months would last more than five decades.

Karl was a handsome cool guy with a warm and engaging smile – like movie legend James Dean.  He never swore or ridiculed and very quietly and subtly became a leader of the Glenora Gang – a term to last some 53 years.

Johnny Miles, later to become Trillium Chief of Staff, “Dr. John”, arrived late that afternnoon driving his head-spinning red English Morgan Super sports car.  Soon thereafter, and not knowing John, Karl pulled up in a jaw-dropping  eye-popping Robin Egg blue Classic British TR3 convertible.  Those cars were “chick magnets.” As a penniless university kid, they sure got my attention.   I was stunned and mesmerized.  Obviously,  these guys were from moneyed families. 

For Karl, it paid off big time!  He met and married the most beautiful girl in Belleville.  One of his funniest colossal errors was innocently confessing that, when driving Bev home to Belleville after the many notorious Purple Jesus Glenora late-night Bashes, he would stop at the small quarry off the Swamp Road for “end of evening star gazing.”  That admission attracted endless roaring and razzing around the lumber-jack staff dinner table from more than a dozen drooling envious buddies.

Never in our wildest dreams would any member of this raucous, laughing, partying band of hooligans have anticipated that Dr. Karl would ascend in his career to become recognized as one of the most distinguished Canadian fisheries biologist and a pioneering leader in the new field of environmental studies.

Karl had always been physically active and involved with a variety of sports and environmental interests.  Years later, we enjoyed hot sunny days hunting Cogneshese Lake Trout off his favourite Christian Island and Nottawasaga Bay off Collingwood.

The  winter get-aways for the  Glenora Gangers included scuba diving vacations to Cozumel Island.  Also, the guys enjoyed fun-filled fly-in fishing at Red Lake, Ontario,  Island 10 at  Temiskemeg, Montebello, Quebec, and Telegraph Narrows in the Bay of Quinte, retelling and laughing at the same old stories of yesteryears. He loved his group. 

Adventuresome Karl flew from the Picton Flying Club in the 1950’s Aeronca tail-dragger, and later was certified with his wings from the Breslau Flying Club.  I well recall, on several occasions flying our radio controlled model airplanes at their family Georgian Bay Island cottage and float flying models off our family docks at Wollaston Lake. 

Karl admired, loved, and cared about those surrounding him.  Most of all, in the later years, he spoke quietly and with pride about his family – Erik and his wife Amanda, both university professors in Flagstaff, and Kim and Greg and how their family company BlueWater BioSciences Inc. brought them together regularly. With age, his four grandkids Victoria, Morgan, Lucy and Jane, understandably grew more important and became a larger part of his life.  Karl and Bev had been married for more than 50 years- longer than anyone in the Glenora Gang, and they were the perfect couple together.

The Real Karl was the one with warmth and understanding, well respected by all.  He was considerate and sensitive to assure that all those around him were having fun.  Karl was an organizer and leader, self-confident, and subtly assertive, but a team player. He was soft-spoken, enjoyed a balance in life and was always eager and enthusiastic for something new.  Karl was a wonderful close friend and I’ll miss him dearly.

I was imagining him this morning.  He was in the left seat of a Cessna Caravan Amphibian.  He had on his headset and mic, and was about to take off. 

“Heavenly Airport Tower”, this is KLS (Karl Ludwig Schiefer), taking off on runway “Two Zero One Niner.” (2019).  With him were Steve Cooke and Jerome Knap. 

He steadily advanced the throttle,  the engine roared, and the plane accelerated.  As it lifted off the dotted white line, he turned to his Glenora buddies.  “Hey guys, tighten your seatbelts – Wheels Up -We’re Going Fishing!”            The end… grotch