Karl Romstad

March 16, 1940 - February 27, 2024

Davis, California - Karl Martin Romstad of Davis, California passed away peacefully on February 27, 2024, with his wife of 62 years, Constance (Hatlen) Romstad by his side. Karl was 83 years old and had been bravely battling Alzheimer's Disease.

Karl was born to Arvid and Lucille Romstad on March 16, 1940, in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, the fourth of five children. During his youth, Karl was a star athlete competing in football, basketball, and golf. He also always had an affinity for math. This led Karl out of the small town of Evansville, Wisconsin to the University of Wisconsin, at Madison, where he received a B.S., MS., and Ph.D, in Civil Engineering.

Karl and Connie had their first date on her 14th birthday; she was a freshman in high school where Karl was a junior. Connie joined Karl in Madison upon her high school graduation, and they were married a year later during 1961. During 1967, after completing his Ph.D., Karl accepted a position on the Civil Engineering faculty at UC Davis. It was in Davis that Karl and Connie raised their family, which consisted of three children, Keith, Kurt, and Karla.

Professionally, seismic structural design was Karl's natural interest upon arriving in California, where earthquakes occurred. Teaching was Karl's career inspiration, and he was an unusually effective professor allowing students to thrive. These skills, and students, ultimately led to Karl receiving the UC Davis Distinguish Teaching Award, as voted by alumni in 1990. Generous and grateful former students have donated funds to UC Davis in several ways, including endowed scholarships, the Ramey & Romstad conference room and library; and UC Davis named a student dorm after Karl due to his incredible contribution to students (quite a rare thing for someone still alive).

Karl retired from UC Davis in 2000. From that point Karl and Connie spent their summers at their home on Sauxhead Lake, in the upper peninsula of Michigan. This became a treasured summer gathering place for family. As Karl aged, he would sit on his deck overlooking the lake and would often say, "I'm the luckiest man in the world."

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Constance (Hatlen) Romstad, brother David Romstad of Janesville, WI, sister Alice Pauls of Redondo Beach, CA, sons Keith (Lyn) Romstad of Petaluma, CA and Kurt (Kerry) Romstad of Petaluma, CA, daughter Karla (Stephen) Armes of Nashville, TN, seven grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life will be held at 3:00 p.m. April 13, 2024, at Davis United Methodist Church, 1620 Anderson Road, Davis, California. This will be open to all interested in attending.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that people consider a charitable donation in the name of Karl M. Romstad, to one of the following: 1) Yolo Cares at https://yolocares.org/give/; 2) Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org; or 3) The Davis Lutheran Church, 317 E. 8th Street, Davis, CA 95616.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Sacramento Bee on Mar. 24, 2024.

Memories and Condolences
for Karl Romstad

2 Entries

Eddy Song

April 9, 2024

Professor Romstad was the most influential teacher for me during my time attending classes at UCDavis. I took five courses with him. His teaching style was very inspiring to me, demonstrating how to present complex theories logically and gradually to students, which has greatly helped me in my current teaching approach. His courses helped me establish a clear understanding of the basic concepts of structural matrix analysis. His structural dynamics course also laid a solid foundation for me in this complex discipline. He was also a member of my PhD qualifying exam committee. Before the exam, he spent two afternoons asking me questions to help me prepare for the oral exam, making me familiar with the atmosphere of the exam. One time, he asked me to derive the concepts of structural dynamics from the most basic theory to the complex applications, which took nearly four hours, but was extremely helpful to me. I deeply appreciate his academic influence on me. Privately, he always gave encouragements to us young people. His humorous way of speaking often brought me a lot of warmth. Professor Romstad's dedication to teaching and mentoring extended beyond the classroom, and his kindness and wisdom will be deeply missed. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.

James Petterson

March 15, 2024

So sorry to hear the passing of Karl, I remember him well as a kind gentleman . His brother Dave and I graduated together together. Please accept my deepest sympathy and condolences to all of Rockstar family. RIP.

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