John William Karn, Jr.

John William Karn, Jr., age 77, of Galveston, Texas, passed away at his home on Friday, August 9, 2024. Born in San Antonio, Texas, on December 3, 1946, to loving parents, Dr. John W. Karn and Anna A. Rumbaugh Karn. His father was a young anesthesiologist, where the family would eventually make their home in South Bend, Indiana. 

John graduated from John Adams High School in 1965. After graduation, John attended Indiana University, after which he voluntarily joined the United States Army in 1967, during the Vietnam War. Of course, his mother was devastated; he was her heart. He was stationed in Baumholder, Germany, proudly serving his country as an E-6 Military Police Officer, where his love for his life’s career began. 

After receiving an Honorable Discharge, John followed his yearning for “sand and sea”, where he made Galveston his home for the remainder of his life. John joined the Galveston Police Department in 1969, proudly serving the Galveston community as a motorcycle patrol officer until his retirement in 1996. 

During John’s lifetime, his greatest love, was the birth of his only child in 1979, John Steven Karn. He was so very proud of his son, who is such a mirror image of himself. One of John’s greatest hobbies was to go shooting at the shooting range, where he introduced his baby to the gun range at the young age of 6 weeks. From then on, they spent many hours shooting targets perfecting their marksmanship. John was always a “Hands-On Dad” at all of John Steven’s sporting events and school activities. He was a wonderful Father to John Steven, and he will be deeply missed. 

John is predeceased by his parents, his grandfather William Rumbaugh, to whom he was very close and his wife Donna. He is survived by his son John Steven Karn, daughter-in-law Michelle, sister Joanne Tedlock and brother-in-law Roger. 

The family wants to extend a special thank you to John’s neighbors Eric & Lauren Dawson and Chris & Kimberly Danesi for the loving care and companionship that they provided to John during his illness.   

A gathering of family and friends will be held on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. at J. Levy & Termini Funeral Home.

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