Karl F. Hueglin

Karl Frederick Hueglin, Jr., (1929-2017) passed away in his sleep Sunday evening, Oct. 15, after a brief illness. Karl was born in NYC on March 18, 1929, the only son of Karl F. Hueglin Sr. and the former Marie DeAngelis, and grew up on Staten Island. He studied theatre arts at Columbia University. While engaged in summer theatre at Lake George, Karl met Marjorie Baehr, whom he married in 1950.
After serving in the U.S. Army Special Services division, Stuttgart Germany, he returned to New York to work for the old Dumont Studios, and then pursued a career as an independent television commercial set designer/art director. His theatre design credits include The Hostage (1961) and Billy Liar (1965), both Off-Broadway productions. As art director for a TV movie, Gold of the Amazon Women (1979), he earned critical acclaim.
Karl served as village trustee, deputy mayor, fire commissioner and chief of the Fire Department in Plandome, NY, where he lived for more than 30 years. In 2015, he received an award for 35 years of volunteer service to Manhasset HS, where he designed sets for over 60 school plays and the annual Senior Frolic, and taught set design and lighting to generations of students. In addition, he was a strong supporter of the NY State Theatre Education Association, which brings together drama students throughout the state. For a short period following retirement, Karl used his exceptional carpentry and wood working skills to produce and sell handcrafted children’s toys, benches, lamps and other decorating accessories.
Karl’s trademarks were his love of family and children, his generosity, and his devotion to the community. He greatly enjoyed white water canoeing with the Appalachian Mountain Club and camping on the islands of Lake George where he took his children and their friends every summer. Karl Hueglin is survived by his wife Marjorie and four children, Michael (Lynne) of Roanoke, VA; Roger (Theresa) of Wilton, CT; Martha Freiberg (Daniel) of Atlanta, GA; and Karl III (Leslie) of Wilton, CT; plus nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his eldest son Steven.
A memorial service will be held at the Congregational Church of Manhasset at 1845 Northern Blvd. on Nov. 4 at 11 a.m., followed by a reception at the Plandome Village Hall. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to either the Karl F. Hueglin Scholarship Fund for technical theatre students (C/O John Shorter, 20 Narcissus Dr. Syosset, NY 11791) or to the Steven J Hueglin Scholarship of Manhasset High School (C/O Karl F. Hueglin III, 9 Pipers Hill Rd., Wilton, CT 06897).