William "Karl" Kruse

William “Karl” Kruse, 81, of Winston Salem, NC, passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 13th, 2025, at his home in Homestead Hills Community.

He was born on October 8th, 1943, in Philadelphia, PA, to the late William Kruse and Martha Gladys Alexander.

Karl graduated from Frankford High School in 1961, where he was top of his class and played multiple sports. He went on to pursue Electrical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania while also playing Division I Football, before completing his master’s degree in Operations Research. Both his daughter, Julia, and granddaughter, Alison, went on to pursue Operations Research degrees to continue his legacy. After his education, Karl had a successful career working at Logistic Management Institute within the Department of Defense and published multiple Operations Research papers.

He and his wife, Janice, met in high school and reconnected through mutual friends in the mid-70s. They shared a love of cooking and music. Outside of work, Karl enjoyed golfing, attending the symphony, dining with friends and family, reading articles on the latest technology and trends, and spending time with his dog, Sadie. He particularly enjoyed golfing and working on solving challenging homework problems with his granddaughter, Alison. He also spent many Sundays’ sharing his love of painting and cooking omelets and potato pancakes with his granddaughter, Lauren, who attended Wake Forest University. Karl was very involved in Homestead Hills and enjoyed giving back to the community.

Karl is survived by his wife, Janice; his daughter, Julia Landry; his son-in-law, Steve Landry; and his two granddaughters, Alison and Lauren Landry.

A celebration of life will be held on Friday, April 18, 2025, at 1pm at Homestead Hills.

The family asks that flowers be directed to Homestead Hills. 

Karl will be deeply missed by his friends and family, but the memories of Karl will never be forgotten.