It is rare in life you meet a person as extraordinary as Karl. He was a force to be reckoned with — intelligent, gregarious, resourceful, driven — yet also modest, passionate, and affable. You knew Karl was in the room when you heard his unforgettable laugh — the kind of loud, hearty laugh that filled the room and made you smile. That was Karl. Happy. Positive. Enjoying the moment.
Karl was born in Downey, California. He was an only child but had more than enough cousins who stood in as surrogate siblings. His dad, Frank Lopker, was an MIT master’s graduate who managed the Convair airplane factory in San Diego before starting his own mechanical engineering firm. Karl’s mother, Julia Weber Lopker, was an accountant for Weber Trailer, a family business that manufactured large trailers for the trucking industry.
Karl never worked for anyone — not even as a kid. He always figured out a way to make money on his own. In summers during high school, he painted parking space lines for businesses around Downey. Later, he started his own business as a freelance Volkswagen mechanic.
