Karl J. Reinhardt, 86, died at his home in Bellaire, Texas, due to congestive heart failure on February 8, 2018.  He was born August 29, 1931, in San Antonio, Texas, and went to public schools in Ridgewood, New Jersey.  He held an A.B. in French from Guilford College, North Carolina, an M.A. in Spanish from The University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in Romance Linguistics from The University of Texas at Austin.  He also took courses at Columbia University, and the UNAM in Mexico City.

            Karl spent almost his whole adulthood teaching languages and linguistics, doing exactly what he had wanted to since high school.  He taught at the University of Oklahoma for five years; two years at The University of Texas at Austin, and thirty-four years at the University of Houston, with visiting stints at Cornell University, Texas Southern University, the Instituto de Lingüística at Porto Alegre, Brazil, and Vanderbilt University. While at the University of Oklahoma, he helped start a televised language course broadcast from the university.

            At the University of Houston, he taught the first course in Spanish linguistics (developed eventually by his colleagues into a doctoral program), created a two-year sequence in Portuguese (on-going for over a decade), and served as advisor to language students for many years. He won a Faculty Advisor award during one of his last years.

            Karl was involved with language teachers’ organizations in the Houston area (where he was often a guest speaker), with mental health concerns, with civil rights and with social organizations.  He filled numerous offices in several organizations over the years.

            His hobbies included traveling, especially with the love of his life, his husband David Idrogo, playing on his computer, and drinking coffee with his cronies. 

            He is survived by David Idrogo his husband since 2008 and partner since 1990, his nephew and niece and their children, David’s family members, numerous cousins and in-laws, former colleagues from the University of Houston, former students, a large number of friends from Prime Timers and various language conversation groups, and his koffeeklatch buddies.  An only child, he knew only a few of his distant relatives, but in recent years kept up with his cousins James and Joyce Rocks, of Leesburg, VA, and Gail Gochenaur of Wyckoff, NJ.

            A non-religious gathering of his friends will be held at Bradshaw-Carter Memorial and Funeral Services, 1734 West Alabama Street in Houston, on Sunday, February 11, 2018 at two o’clock in the afternoon with remembrances starting at a quarter past two o’clock.  A reception will follow. 

Instead of flowers, Karl hopes people might make a contribution to Guilford College, Greensboro, North Carolina, the Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus of Houston, or any public or educational library.

            He died as he lived, with quiet dignity.

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