Karl H. Kregor

Karl H. Kregor, PhD, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, passed away Monday, October 20, 2025 at the age of 87, from heart disease. Karl was born September 27, 1938 in the Bronx, New York City, NY to Walter Kregor and his wife Viktoria Okrzesik, of Bremen, Germany. He was a resident of the Santa Fe area for 28 years, moving here from San Antonio, Texas in 1997.

Karl was a loving husband, father, brother, and grandfather. His confidence and positive outlook on life inspired many of those around him. Karl lived his life always in pursuit of new knowledge, and he had absolute confidence in his ability to fix almost anything and learn new skills, with the attitude that everything would work out in the long run, despite whatever obstacles he faced.

A graduate of Queens College and Syracuse University, Karl worked for over 25 years as a Professor of English Literature at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, specializing in works from the 17th century Renaissance period. His teaching ventured beyond the written word to include explorations of art and culture in order to better illuminate the meaning, context, and symbolism within the texts. Herman Melville was a favorite, and Karl could often be seen sporting a t-shirt with a favorite quote: "I would prefer not to." Karl was part of a team that created and taught the popular, multi-disciplinary course “The Human Quest” at Trinity. He also taught summer courses on the films of Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, and other contemporary filmmakers.

Karl was active in his support of community and social causes. He volunteered teaching reading skills at the local jail, protested the use of land mines in the Vietnam War, and advocated for affordable health care, even being invited to a White House Rose Garden press event on the topic after writing a letter to President Bill Clinton.

In retirement, Karl became a volunteer lecturer, technology guru, and eventually President of the RENESAN Institute for Lifelong Learning in Santa Fe, NM. He loved teaching, and loved living in Santa Fe, where the landscape and culture inspired new interests and pursuits. Santa Fe also allowed Karl to indulge in his passion for trains. He took a job on the Santa Fe Railroad line, serving as a conductor and guide for the tour route between Santa Fe and Lamy, NM.

Karl lived his life to the fullest, pursuing his artistic interests in photography, woodworking, stained glass, painting, collage; his outdoor interests of hiking, cross-country skiing and birding; his love of travel (especially road trips); and his literary aspirations, writing academic papers, travel articles, stories, and letters to newspapers and politicians. Karl was an avid reader, a lifelong learner and educator, a lover of Tai Chi, Classical Music and Opera, a connoisseur of comic films, and a consistent New York Times Spelling Bee “Genius.”

Karl was a kind and wonderful person. He was preceded in death by his parents. Karl is survived by his wife of 61 years, Ellen B. Kregor of Santa Fe, NM; sister, Margo Durr, of Mahopac, NY; brother, Raymond Kregor of Yaphank, NY; daughter, Leah Dean and husband John of Whitefish Bay, WI; son, Matthew Kregor and wife Michelle, of Los Angeles, CA; and two grandchildren: Elizabeth and Robert.

In lieu of flowers, Karl’s family asks that donations be made in his memory to any of the following organizations:

American Civil Liberties Union (https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://action.aclu.org/give/now__;!!L77oFdcXU102vQ!mkJpPZMWfcqJ4YbMWQ--GDKI7Pw9z66ybAbI187jWCZila3LlfQktSZbUSRtzLm1mhG6MOipJGMNRu-sFH7bs8dbp9Y$ )

RENESAN Institute for Lifelong Learning (https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://renesan.org/donate/__;!!L77oFdcXU102vQ!mkJpPZMWfcqJ4YbMWQ--GDKI7Pw9z66ybAbI187jWCZila3LlfQktSZbUSRtzLm1mhG6MOipJGMNRu-sFH7bDZ5IOYA$ )

Doctors without Borders (https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/__;!!L77oFdcXU102vQ!mkJpPZMWfcqJ4YbMWQ--GDKI7Pw9z66ybAbI187jWCZila3LlfQktSZbUSRtzLm1mhG6MOipJGMNRu-sFH7bwONClLk$ )