Karl Riehn

Karl Riehn, formal name Karl-Heinz Riehn, but commonly known as Karl Riehn was born in Mettingen, Germany on June 4, 1950, to Heinz and Waldtraut Riehn, passed away peacefully at home in Long Grove, Ill. on Monday October 2, 2023, surrounded by his family.

Karl and his parents immigrated to the United States in July 1951, moving to the northside of Chicago, the location of relatives and their immigration sponsors. He has a sister by the name of Karin who is seven years younger.

Growing up, Karl attended Hamilton elementary school and then Luther North High School, graduating in 1968. In his junior year of high school, he met his high school sweetheart and future wife, Marlene Bergmann.

After high school, he attended MacCormac Jr. College located downtown Chicago. After graduation from MacCormac, he attended Dominican College located in Racine. Marlene and Karl were married in May 1972.

Marlene and Karl lived in Chicago where he started his career in various positions in the insurance industry, following the footsteps of his father who was a life insurance agent. Karl held several positions as an underwriter for a couple of property and casualty insurance companies. Late in 1973, he made the decision to leave his employer and joined his father in his life insurance agency with the intent of building a property and casualty operation. Unfortunately, in the spring of 1974, his father passed away suddenly. At that time, there was a very small insurance operation with the life insurance end of the business passed on to his mother. Karl worked with his mother on this end of the agency, and it was eventually merged into the property and casualty operation.

Karl was 24 years old at the time of his father’s passing and found himself suddenly having the responsibility of running a business, maintaining and trying to build trust with the existing clients and proving that a 24-year-old “kid” was worthy of their trust and continued business.

Evidently, things worked out and he successfully built a well-respected, independent insurance agency in Chicago known as H. G. Riehn Insurance Agency, Inc. and after 50 years of operation, sold his agency to a larger agency and continued working part-time until his passing. He never wanted to completely retire. Many of Karl’s clients from his early years are still doing business with the successor agency.

He is survived by his wife Marlene (nee Bergmann); children: Susanne (Antoni) Kaluzinski, Karolyn (Michael) Congalton, Kristine (Matthew) Kueck, and Ann Marie Riehn. He is also survived by his sister Karin Shotts (nee Riehn). Beloved Grandparent to nine grandchildren: Lauren, Gavin, Carson, Emily, Abigail, Ryan, Elin, Otto and Greta; and loving uncle to William and Katherine. The most successful part of his life was marrying his wife, Marlene, and having a wonderful, loving family of which he was so proud.

During his lifetime, Marlene and Karl traveled extensively throughout the world and took many cruises. They own a lake home located on Fence Lake in Lac du Flambeau, and spend as much time there as possible, enjoying hosting family and friends as often as possible.

A visitation was held Sunday Oct. 8, at the Kristan Funeral Home in Mundelein, Ill. and a visitation and funeral service was held on Monday Oct. 9 at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Hawthorn Woods, Ill.

In lieu of flowers, memorials to St. Matthew Lutheran Church appreciated at https://www.stmatts.net/donate.html. For additional information visit www.kristanfuneralhome.com or call 847-566-8020.