Karl W. Valek

Karl William Valek, 57, of Worthington, Ohio, passed away on Monday, December 26, 2016 after courageously dealing with a long-term illness. His devotion to his family and to his firm faith and belief in God supported him in his physical struggles and ultimately gave him peace. Karl was born in Cleveland, Ohio on April 24, 1959 to Karol John Valek and the late Marion (Ferrell). He was always a top student in school and developed an early interest in rocks and fossils, Boy Scouts, camping and building fires. He also was a life-long fan of the Cleveland Indians, the Cleveland Browns and later the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was a creative writer and cartoon artist in his spare time. He was also an expert Strat-O-Matic player and card player. Karl graduated from Ohio State in 1982 with a Master's degree in Geology. Right after graduation, he married his high school sweetheart, Carolyn (Malec) and moved to Houston, Texas to begin a career in petroleum geology working for Royal Dutch Shell Oil Company. After seven years Karl was transferred to New Orleans, Louisiana where he and Carolyn lived for three years. When the oil boom finally went bust, Karl & Carolyn moved with their first-born daughter, Amanda, back to Northeast Ohio where Karl acquired graduate studies in environmental geology. He worked another 10 years for three environmental firms in Ohio and was the manager for a major NASA project. The family lived in the Cleveland area where their son, Scott was born and then moved to Worthington, Ohio for an environmental geology opportunity. Karl was a wonderful dad and was blessed with a keen ability to teach his children anything from Algebra shortcuts to card game strategies to how to choke up on the bat. As Karl became more disabled from Myotonic Dystrophy, he stepped back from work and switched roles with Carolyn. He went on to be a great Cub Scout leader, a PTA dad, and PSR teacher. Karl was kind and soft-spoken and always had time to solve a problem no matter how small. He is dearly missed by his loved ones who celebrate the fact that he was a man of great faith and is at peace. Karl is survived by his wife of 34 years, Carolyn (Malec); his daughter, Amanda Valek; his son, Scott Valek; his father, Karol John Valek; and his sister, Valerie Scanlon (Valek); his mother-in-law Marianne Malec; his brother-in-law Frank Malec (Wendy); and sisters-in-law Judene Silbiger (Mark), Marigene Margevicius (Mark) and Lynmarie Malec; 7 nieces and 4 nephews and 1 grandniece and 3 grandnephews. He is preceded in death by his mother Marion Valek (Ferrell); and his three sisters - Kathi, Carol and Harriett; and his father-in-law, Frank Malec.

A Memorial Mass for Karl will be held at St. Thomas More Newman Center at 64 W. Lane Ave., Columbus, OH 43201 on Thursday, December 29, 2016. The family will receive guests at 10 a.m. followed by the Memorial Mass at 11 a.m.

A luncheon will follow immediately after the Mass at the Newman Center.

A private family burial will be held at Flint Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio at a later time.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to the Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation (www.myotonic.org) or to the St. Thomas More Newman Center (www.buckeyecatholic.com/give).