Karl Frederick Munz

Passed away peacefully on October 5, 2019, after a hard- fought battle with cancer. He had recently celebrated his 83rd birthday. Karl was a proud native of Sacramento born on September 13, 1936, to parents Fred and Frances Munz, both immigrants from Germany. He was an accomplished tenor singer who won contests as a boy and also excelled academically, graduating from Grant High School and attending UC Berkeley at age 16. There he met Sharon Morris who shared his love of jazz, baseball, and football, especially their beloved Cal Bears and the San Francisco Giants and 49ers. They were married for over thirty years and raised five children. A devoted and hard-working husband and father, Karl attended night school at McGeorge School of Law while working as a salesman for the DoAll machine parts company. Upon graduation he joined a private law firm before becoming a specialist in tax law at the California State Franchise Tax Board, a position he held for more than two decades. Karl had a great appreciation of nature, and especially of flowers, and enjoyed participating in local softball teams and bowling leagues. He was also an avid history buff who enthusiastically shared his passion for California and Sacramento history, volunteering for many years at the Sacramento History Museum in Old Sacramento, where he was a charter docent and member and was awarded docent of the year in 2004. His service to the community also included presiding as president for the North Sacramento School Board. One of his favorite annual events was the Sacramento Dixieland Jubilee jazz festival, and he was also a longtime member of the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society, performing often in the Gold Room. He joyfully sang every Sunday in the church choirs at both Trinity Cathedral and St. Matthews Episcopal Church, read lessons, was active in the Cursillo movement, and served on the Vestry. He donated generously to many charities throughout his life, and regularly donated blood. Karl is survived by his children, Michelle Leetham (Orinda), Karla Pollich (Portland, OR), Kirsten Byrne (Sicklerville, NJ), Matthew Munz (San Francisco), and Michael Munz (Berkeley). He was also a loving grandfather to four grandchildren, Stephanie (Orinda), Ryan and Lauren (Sicklerville, NJ), and Lily (San Francisco), and a beloved father-in-law to his children's spouses, Jim (Orinda), Peter (Portland, OR), Richard (Sicklerville, NJ), and Rachael (San Francisco). He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, Dorothea Jones (Reno, NV), and Louise Sernholt (Sacramento, CA). A memorial service will be held November 3 at 3PM at Trinity Cathedral, 2620 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento, CA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Trinity Cathedral or the American Red Cross.