Karl Gerstenberger epitomized the term ‘a life well lived’ | Column

“Somehow we’ve fetched up here on the shore of Penobscot Bay in the Maine cottage with its windows facing the sea water. Here, where we can hear the gulls and sometimes an osprey at first light and often a loon calling as we drift off at night. “This is a place where, when there’s a ‘thick-o-fog,’ it almost rolls right into our bedroom and we hear passing boats sounding warning horns as if they were right beside us … just as they sounded when we sailed these waters ourselves. “When the tide’s out, I can tell it by the rich smell. When the water’s rough, I know it by the sound of the bell buoy over by the monument. “Lately I’ve been reflecting on how we could ever be so fortunate … ” Louisa Gerstenberger’s voice never broke during the memorial service for her husband Karl as she read the words he had written in a memoir a few years before. She knew him well. They met as seniors at Cornell and been happily married for 66 years. And, sadly, he died. Shortly after Louisa and Karl moved to Thornton Oaks, we asked them if they’d like to be our regular Thursday night dinner companions. They agreed, and we had some wonderful conversations during meals. I was struck by how Karl always listened, really listened, to what I was saying. He did that with everyone at Thornton Oaks; he just wanted to find out who they were and what made them tick. Advertisement I learned upon reading Karl’s memoir that he had had a very successful career in restaurant management and hospital food service. He possessed all the traits of a great leader: clear vision, a knack for connecting with employees and customers, and a strong sense of ethics. And he was always grateful for everything he had and everyone who helped him along the way. I also learned that although Karl’s father never got more than an eighth grade education, he became a successful salesman. Moreover, he was a skilled musician. He played the flute for the Louisville Symphony Rochester and later served as first flutist for the Dartmouth Community Orchestra in Hanover, New Hampshire. Louisa had grown up around boats, and she taught Karl how to sail. He ultimately became the captain, blessed with an extraordinary first mate. As his memoir notes, “It was Louisa with her understanding of things mechanical who learned: how to monitor and regulate the transmission fluid level; when and where to add the fuel additives; how to drain the contaminants from the Racer fuel filter; how and when to replace the filter element, and then how to bleed the air out of the system so that fuel flowed to the motor again. Louisa’s note in the log book says it all, ‘We can do this’. Fortunately for me, Louisa’s mechanical ability has sustained me and saved me from all kinds of misfortunes for nigh on to sixty years, now.” [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/TR-photo-by-Karl-Gerstenberger-061226-rotated.jpeg) A print of a photograph taken by Karl Gerstenberger, a Thornton Oaks resident who passed away. (Courtesy of David Treadwell) During their sailing adventures and frequent hikes, Karl became fascinated with the beauty and variety of birds. And he soon became enthralled with the idea of photographing birds and making beautiful prints. He gave one of them to Tina and me. As it happened, he gave prints to many people at Thornton Oaks. That’s just who he was. He liked to make people happy. Karl and Louisa loved being in the outdoors in the natural word, they loved Maine, they loved music, they loved hosting parties and, most of all, they loved each other. “We each did out part,” Louisa says. “We were a great team.” _David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary and suggestions for a future “Just a Little Old” column at [\[email protected\]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection)._ [](https://www.bowdoin.edu/?utm_source=TimesRecord&utm_medium=SupportingSponsorship) **The Times Record Sustaining Sponsor **We believe a community must be informed to thrive. [**bowdoin.edu**](https://www.bowdoin.edu/?utm_source=TimesRecord&utm_medium=SupportingSponsorship) Copy the Story Link Tagged: [Times Record](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/times-record/), [Times Record Community](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/times-record-community/)