H. Karl Huntoon 1949-2011

Former ISBA Assembly member H. Karl Huntoon, 61, a proud Moline man who valued and worked tirelessly to improve the lives of his family, his friends, his clients, and his community, passed away January 1, 2011, at Trinity Pathway Hospice, Bettendorf, Iowa, after a short battle with aggressive brain cancer. A time to celebrate Karl’s life will be held Sunday, January 9, 2011, from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Moline Public Library. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the H. Karl Huntoon Memorial Fund, care of The Moline Foundation, 817 11th Avenue, Moline, IL 61265. This fund will be used to continue Karl’s efforts to continually improve the library and the community. Private family burial will be in Moline Memorial Park. Esterdahl Mortuary & Crematory, Ltd., Moline, is assisting the family. Karl was born December 19, 1949, in Davenport, Iowa, to Harry Kline and Margit Anderson Huntoon. During the summer of 1970, he attended summer school at Dartmouth College, where he met his wife of 38 years Andrea Dickgiesser. They were married July 29, 1972, in Woodbridge, Conn. He graduated from Moline Senior High School in 1968. He then attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he received a B.S. with honors in Economics in 1972. He then received a Juris Doctor Degree from the College of Law at the University of Illinois in 1975. He was accepted to the Illinois State Bar Association on October 15, 1975, and the Iowa State Bar Association on August 19, 1992. He was also admitted to the U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois and the U.S. Tax Court. Karl practiced law for 35 years in Moline, concluding at Katz, Huntoon and Fieweger. During his undergraduate years, he became very active in Delta Upsilon fraternity. He continued to improve Delta Upsilon by serving the Alumni Corporation of the Illinois Alumni Chapter, becoming President and serving in that role until 1980. In 1981 he was elected to the DU International Fraternity’s Board of Directors serving various roles, including Chairman of the Board from 1988 to 1991. He also received many fraternity awards and honors, including the Outstanding Alumnus Award and the prestigious Delta Upsilon Meritorious Service Award. Karl improved his profession with involvement with the Rock Island County Bar Association serving as Secretary/Treasurer, Vice President, and President. He was an Assembly member from 1994 to 1999 for the Illinois State Bar Association and also served as a member of the Real Estate Section Council from 1992 to 1999. He had been a member of Quad City Estate Planning Council since 1992. Karl strived to improve the future by being an Instructor of Business at Augustana College and was awarded the Outstanding Teacher Award for 1979-1980 and 1980-1981. First Congregational Church of Moline was improved by Karl’s time as he was a Sunday School teacher for many years. He also served on the Board of Trustees and was elected chairman. One of Karl’s greatest gifts to the improvement of the community was his dedication of 10 years on the Library Board which included the fundraising and construction of the new Moline Public Library that opened in 2006. He served on the Moline Police and Fire Commission and the Quad City Arts Board. He is survived by his wife, Andrea “Anne”; two sons who were honored to have him as their father James (Molly) Huntoon of Pawley’s Island, S.C., and Mark (Sabrina) Huntoon of Bettendorf, Iowa; three grandchildren he very much adored; a sister, Elizabeth Huntoon of Chicago; and a very dear friend, Truman Symmonds, who helped him tirelessly during his illness. Online condolences may be expressed to Karl’s family by visiting his obituary at www.esterdahl.com.