Carl H. Koontz, 85, died Wednesday, May 13, 2009 in the Rose Monahan Hospice residence after a short illness.
He was born in Portage, Penn., son of Henry and Clara Anna Rudnick Koontz. He was an Army veteran of World War II serving in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. He participated in the New Guinea and Luzon campaigns and the liberation of the Philippines.
He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering at the University of Illinois where he also taught civil engineering.
In 1952, he jined the faculty at Worcester Polytechnic Institute as an assistant professor of civil engineering and math. In 1957, he was named a professor and head of the civil engineering and urban planning department at W.P.I. He taught structural engineering and construction project management courses for both graduate and undergraduate students.
As a registered professional engineer, he consulted to the Department of Defense, state and local governments, and architectural and engineering firms across the country and in Germany and Asia. He worked on civil, structural, and watershed and drainage area issues as well as disaster planning and environmental impact. He was involved in civil defense and protective construction. He was an advisor in the planning and design of dozens of notable structures in Worcester including Doherty High School, Forest-Grove Junior High School and the assumption College Library.
He was devoted to the City of Worcester and served four years on the City Council, 16 years on the Planning Board and several years on the License Commission. He contributed his professional expertise to countless committees benefiting the city. He also served on the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission. He received numerous citations and awards throughout his career.
He was a Professor Emeritus at W.P.I.
Survivors include his wife, Arline F. Murphy Koontz; six children, Deonna (Robert) Taylor of Tuxedo, N.Y., Gregory Koontz of Olean, N.Y., Richard Koontz of Worcester, Mass., Pamela (David) Dillon of Wrentham, Mass., Kimberly (Paul) Doncaster of Burnsville, Minn., and Melissa (David) O’Connor of Webster; nine grandchildren; a brother, Donald Koontz; and a sister, Marlene Edmundson, both of Elberta.
The family requests memorial donations be made to the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department at W.P.I., Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609.
