Karl Mathew Lehtola

He was a proud veteran of the U.S. Army, serving from 1964 to 1967 and attaining the rank of Sergeant (E-5). Following his military service, he worked at Equitable Life Insurance and Mutual of America.

A funeral service will be held on April 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Aycock Funeral Home Young & Prill Chapel, 6801 SE Federal Highway, Stuart, FL 34997. A graveside service will be held on April 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery, Mims, FL 32754.

Karl was preceded in death by his father, Karl Mathew Lehtola Sr., and his mother, Dorothy Elizabeth Lehtola. He is survived by his beloved wife, Diane Lehtola; his children, daughter Jennifer Lehtola, and sons Jeffrey Lehtola and Matthew (Kate Flora) Lehtola; his grandchildren, Zoe, Ryan, and Benjamin Lehtola; his sisters, Linda (Dennis) Lafoe, Deborah Dobbs, and Stacey (Mick) Pesek; his brother, Kelly Lehtola; many dear cousins, including Darlene Ferrell and Marlene Henderson; and many treasured nieces and nephews.

Karl was born in Cokato, a small farming town in Minnesota, on Nov. 5, 1945, the second child of Karl and Dorothy Lehtola. When he was 12, Karl and his three sisters (older sister Linda and younger sisters Debbie and Stacey) moved with their parents to Cocoa, FL, in 1957. His younger brother, Kelly, was born in 1963. In Cocoa, he met his longtime best friend, Alan Hendry, and they enjoyed many fun times surfing, fishing, and water skiing. Karl graduated from Cocoa High School in 1963 at the age of 17.

After working at several different jobs, he enlisted in the United States Army in October 1964. Karl completed basic training and advanced infantry training at Fort Jackson, SC; jump school at Fort Benning, GA; and then transferred to Okinawa, Japan, where he joined the 173rd Airborne Infantry Brigade as a support specialist in the rigger platoon, maintaining parachutes.

In July 1965, the brigade was transferred to Bien Hoa, South Vietnam, to establish a base camp near the Bien Hoa Air Force Base. After two months, Karl was transferred to B Company of the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, where he was assigned to the heavy weapons squad as an 81-millimeter mortar assistant gunner. He participated in numerous search-and-destroy operations in various parts of Vietnam’s jungles, traveling by Huey helicopter.

In June 1966, he was transferred back stateside, joining the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, KY. In September and October, his company, along with a company of U.S. Marines, traveled to Tromsø, Norway, for training exercises with the North Norwegian Army against the South Norwegian Army. In the summer of 1967, his company traveled to West Point, NY, where they set up a Viet Cong village for cadet training on Vietnam War tactics and helicopter landings.

During his time at West Point, Karl met his future wife, Diane Wardell, at a dinner dance sponsored by the Cardinal Spellman Service Club of New York. In October 1967, he was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army.

Karl left Florida in 1968, driving straight through to New York in his British Racing Green Mustang with his possessions — clothes, a Beach Boys album, a Neil Diamond album, a coffee pot, a bedspread, a throw rug, and $64 — full of confidence and eager to build a life for himself after surviving Vietnam. He was fortunate to share a basement apartment in the Bronx with his best buddy from the Army, Ben Good. Karl and Ben later reconnected in 2025, catching up as though no time had passed.

Karl began working as a computer operator with the Equitable Life Insurance Society of the U.S. after a recommendation from his future brother-in-law, Frank Gallagher.

Karl’s first visit with his future in-laws, Al and Ellen Wardell, took place at their home in Hollywyle Park on Candlewood Lake in New Fairfield, CT, along with Gail (Diane’s sister) and Frank. For the occasion, Karl went to the Fulton Fish Market and bought clams and oysters — making a great first impression. This visit became the first of many trips to Candlewood, often shared with Gail, Frank, and their sons, Rob, Tom, and Steve, and later with his own children.

Karl and Diane were married on August 23, 1969, at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in New Fairfield, CT, followed by a honeymoon in Nantucket.

Karl and Diane lived in Upper Manhattan near Fort Tryon Park in Inwood. While working at Equitable, Karl attended night school at Fordham University in the Bronx four nights a week for six years. He was part of the first night school graduating class, earning a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management in 1974. Karl loved Fordham and often spoke warmly of his Jesuit professors.

Daughter Jennifer was born in May 1971 in New York; son Jeffrey was born in April 1974 in New Jersey. In 1977, Karl and Diane moved to Worthington, OH, where Karl accepted a position in systems operations and project management with Integrity, a subsidiary of Equitable. Son Matthew was born two years later in March 1979.

In 1988, they moved to Boca Raton, FL, after Karl was recruited to work at Mutual of America. Karl worked there for 20 years, first as a Systems Development Manager, then Vice President of Programming, and ultimately as Vice President of Operations (Mainframe and LAN/WAN), before retiring on Nov. 1, 2007. Karl often said how proud he was of the team he built during his time at Mutual.

When Karl turned 50, he bought a Harley-Davidson. He and Diane took many trips over the years with good friends Bob and Pam, and occasionally nephew Doug, throughout the United States and Canada.

After retirement, Karl volunteered at the Daggerwing Nature Center in Boca Raton, where he assisted with outdoor maintenance. In 2010, he received the Distinguished Adult Volunteer Achievement Award from the Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation Department.

In 2010, Karl and Diane retired to Stuart to be near their daughter and three grandchildren. They enjoyed attending extracurricular activities, including Little League games and dance recitals, as well as school functions. During the high school years, they never missed a performance by the Jensen Beach High School marching, concert, or symphonic bands, as all three grandchildren were members of the band.

Karl also volunteered with the Road to Victory Military Museum in downtown Stuart, first as a docent and later serving on the board as treasurer and secretary. Alongside fellow volunteers, he represented the museum at the annual Stuart Air Show and in many parades. Karl was instrumental in obtaining a tank for permanent display at the museum. After seven years, the museum was approved to receive a 54-ton, M60 A3 tank, which arrived in Stuart on April 25, 2024, and can be seen today in front of the museum on Stypmann Boulevard.

Karl loved living. He embraced every opportunity with optimism and persistence. He loved mornings, as they held the promise of a new day where anything was possible. 

As a dear neighbor once said, "I'd get up early and look across the street. The garage door would already be open, and Karl would be puttering around outside, so I knew all was well in the world." 

Karl loved many things, but he loved his family best, and they always came first. He is irreplaceable.

If you would like to honor Karl's memory, donations may be made to the Road to Victory Military Museum, 319 SE Stypmann Blvd., Stuart, FL 34994.