1940 - 2025

William (Bill) A. Karn, 85, died October 25, 2025, from injuries suffered from a fall. Bill was born in Pittsburgh, PA to Albert Karn and Geneva Shibler Karn. He attended Pittsburgh schools and graduated with a degree in English from the University of Pittsburgh. He then enlisted in the U.S. Army and was sent to the Army language school in Monterey, California to learn Polish. His subsequent assignment in Germany was to listen to Polish tank traffic.

Following his discharge from the Army, Bill stayed in Europe to travel and to study German at the University of Innsbruck in Austria. On his return to the U.S., he earned a MA in English at the University of Pittsburgh and then came to Seattle to work on a PhD in English at the University of Washington. He met his future wife, Patricia (Pat) L. Rytkonen in 1976 and they married in 1977. Their first year of marriage was spent in England where Pat was a Fulbright Exchange teacher. They enjoyed spending Pat's school vacations exploring England's literary and archaeological sites.

Upon returning to the PNW, Bill held a series of jobs, including stints driving a school bus and teaching ESL, before becoming a well-regarded technical editor at Microsoft for many years. His little red sports car was his pride and joy, and he was sad when it came time to donate it to a charity.

All his life, Bill loved words and literature and read voraciously. On a trip to Greece, he took along his copy of Homer's The Odyssey to read while sailing on the Mediterranean's "wine-dark sea." In his retirement, he perfected his photography skills and wrote light verse in the style of Ogden Nash. His subjects were frequently their cats with Bill the brunt of their humor. He called the little house in Bellevue that he and Pat had lived in since 1979 his sanctuary and was always happy to come home to it.

He is survived by his wife, Pat; brother-in law, Bruce, and sister-in-law, Sheryl Rytkonen; nieces Bonniejean and Karlene; five great-nieces and nephews; and cousins in Pittsburgh and Temple, Texas.

Per Bill's wishes, there will be no service. Contributions in his name may be sent to Seattle Humane, the Bellevue Botanical Garden Society, or the American Cancer Society.

Thank you to the medical staffs at Kaiser Permanente and Overlake Medical Hospital for their compassionate care of Bill.

Sign Bill's Guest Book found at the Guest Book tab above.