Karl Wentersdorf

Dr. Karl P. Wentersdorf passed away on September 12, 2011 in South San Francisco, three days shy of his ninety-sixth birthday. Dr. Wentersdorf was born in Windeck, Germany in 1915 and immigrated to the United States in 1954. He earned a Ph.D. in English at the University of Cincinnati in 1960 and taught English literature for many years at Xavier University, Cincinnati, retiring in 1986. Karl was a gifted and inspiring teacher, receiving the university's Distinguished Teaching Award in 1965. He served for many years as moderator of a campus literary society, the Mermaid Tavern, which cultivated the talents of aspiring young writers.

He was a renowned scholar, with a lengthy record of publications, on Chaucer and Shakespeare in particular. After his retirement from Xavier he moved to San Francisco, where he continued to pursue his research and to publish. While here he was a volunteer tutor to foreign students, mainly from Asia, helping them to improve their English language skills. He became close friends with several of them.

Karl's wife, Anna Jankowski Wentersdorf, died in 1951. He is survived by his son, Anthony Wentersdorf of Minneapolis, Minnesota and a niece, Alice Jankowski of Hamburg, Germany. He touched the lives of many and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Plans for a memorial service are pending.