Karl H. Velde, Jr.

Karl Herget Velde, Jr. of Vero Beach, FL, and Nantucket, MA died on October 2, 2024, at Hospice House Vero Beach from complications of Covid. He was 93 and is survived by his wife Sandra Wolcott Shelvey Sheffield Velde, his children, Janet (Ward) Paine, Mary-Helen (Lee) Black, Ty (Ronit) Velde, and seven grandchildren.

Born in Evanston IL, Karl was raised in Highland Park, IL, and attended Deerfield Academy in MA, graduating in 1949. Following Deerfield, Karl attended Princeton University where he was a member of Colonial Club and advertising manager of The Daily Princetonian. His thesis, “The Political Activities of the American Federation of Labor,” won the Lyman H. Atwater departmental prize for the best thesis on a subject in political science. He graduated in 1953.

After Princeton, Karl attended the University of Virginia Law School, graduating in 1958. His law school education was interrupted by 16 months of active duty in Korea where he served as 1st Lieutenant in the Army in charge of the Port of Inchon legal office. Karl was a dedicated alum to his alma maters, attending reunions and donating every year from graduation up through 2024.

Karl settled in Chicago, first in Winnetka, and then in Lake Forest. He became a specialist in municipal bonds and was a partner of William Blair & Company where he headed the municipal department for 15 years. Karl later developed a municipal portfolio service serving individual clients. Upon leaving William Blair in 2007, he joined the Rothschild Investment Corporation and retired in 2015.

Karl loved hiking, skiing, swimming, golf, travel, and collecting antique clocks. His love for the mountains began as a boy attending Cheley Camp in Estes Park, CO, where his children and a grandchild also attended, and where Karl was the 2014 keynote Cheley Chapel speaker. He ascended more than 30 summits including Long’s Peak and Mt. Princeton in CO, the Monch in Switzerland, and for his 60th birthday Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. He celebrated his 80th birthday by climbing Mt. Washington in NH with his children and grandchildren and continued hiking well into his 80’s. Karl swam every day, and especially loved swimming in the ocean. He and his wife traveled all over the world, and enjoyed skiing Vail in CO.

Karl was a former member of Indian Hill Club, Winnetka, IL, Onwentsia Club, Lake Forest, IL, and the University Club of Chicago. He was a member of the Princeton Club of Vero Beach, The Moorings Club, Vero Beach, FL where he had a hole-in-one on Mens’ Day, Nantucket Yacht Club, Nantucket, MA, and Sankaty Head Golf Club, Siasconset, MA.

A private service at a future date will be held at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Lake Forest, IL where he and his wife Sandra were married, and where he was on the Vestry and served as treasurer for 3 years. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Rocky Mountain Conservancy www.rmconservancy.org

Arrangements are by Thomas S. Lowther Funeral Home & Crematory, Vero Beach.