Lieutenant Colonel Carl Clayton Krehbiel, Jr.

Lieutenant Colonel Carl Clayton Krehbiel, U. S. Army (Ret.), 68, of Moundridge, Kansas, died December 12, 2016, at his home in San Francisco, California, from an accidental fall. Carl’s life could be described in a wide variety of ways because he was many things to many people: devoted son, husband and loyal friend. He was a veteran, businessman, lawmaker and philanthropist. His passion for knowledge was never satisfied. Carl never stopped learning, studying, searching and questioning everything. He was born in New Mexico, September 13, 1948, to the late Floyd H. and Kathryn Krehbiel. He graduated from Moundridge High School in 1966. Krehbiel graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1970 from the University of Kansas with a dual degree in Germanic languages and literature and international relations. He was a participant in the U. S. Army Reserve Officer Trainings Corps (ROTC) program and studied abroad his senior year of college. He also attended the University of Southern California, where he earned his master’s degree and doctorate, and studied at Munich University as an Olmsted Scholar. Lieutenant Colonel Krehbiel served in the U. S. Army from 1970 to 1991 and was a member of the Special Forces. He served in Vietnam as an elite Green Beret and in U. S. Army intelligence services. Lieutenant Colonel Krehbiel was a highly decorated veteran who accepted varying assignments throughout the United States and abroad. Lieutenant Colonel Krehbiel was a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College, Military Intelligence Officers School, and other specialized military schools. Military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster; Defense Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster; Army Commendation Medal; Parachutist Badge; and Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Identification Badge for service on the JCS Staff. These sacrifices on behalf of his country forever remained an enduring point of personal pride. He retired from active military service in 1991 and returned to Moundridge, the central Kansas town where he was raised. When his father died about a year later, Krehbiel took over the Moundridge Telephone Co., the family business. A Republican, he served four terms in the Kansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2006 where he was co-chairman of the Legislature’s Special Committee on Kansas Security and vice-chairman of the House Utilities and Telecommunications Committee. He was widely regarded for his mastery of many subjects. In particular, he was valued by his legislative colleagues for his expertise on communications technology and he advocated for advancing of high technology communications infrastructure in rural areas. Philanthropic by nature, he was a generous supporter of many charitable organizations throughout his lifetime and his philanthropy, most often anonymous, benefited many. In 2011, Krehbiel established the Carl C. Krehbiel Language Summer Institute Scholarship in support of KU students attending the German summer language institute programs in Holzkirchen and Eutin, Germany. As a KU student in 1968, Krehbiel participated in the summer program in Germany. The endowed scholarship enables hundreds of students to participate and study abroad where they will live with a German host family, take classes in German, travel throughout Germany and experience the language and culture firsthand. Krehbiel also funded construction of the Floyd H. and Kathryn Krehbiel Scholarship Hall at KU, which opened in 2008, honoring his parents. Carl was an enthusiastic and supportive fan of KU athletics, particularly passionate about KU basketball as a donor and longtime season ticket holder. His love of KU sports coupled with his ability to memorize facts made him a walking encyclopedia of KU sports statistics and history. In 2015 he was elected an Honorary Life Trustee of KU Endowment. Carl is survived by his wife Debra L. Marko; sister, Celia Mater of Wichita; nephew, Michael Mater; and nieces, Mary Nolan and Margaret Mater. A Celebration of Life will be held, at Quincy’s, 128 South Christian Avenue, Moundridge, on Friday, January 27, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. Mr. Krehbiel has been interred in the Mound Township Cemetery, Moundridge, Kansas. In lieu of flowers, it is suggested that memorial contributions be made to the Disabled Veterans Fund, in care of Moundridge Funeral Home, 115 East Cole Street, Moundridge, Kansas 67107.

Lieutenant Colonel Carl Clayton Krehbiel, Jr.

September 13, 1948 - December 12, 2016