Karl "Käru" Staenz

Alas, our friend and colleague is gone. Karl always had a friendly word to greet me even though I don't think he was really much interested in the kind of research work that I did. I never got to see his miniature railway layout, but I always enjoyed hearing about his avocation. I send sincerest condolences to all his friends and family.

Karl was a gentleman and a scholar, and an excellent role model for many.

I was shocked to learn that Karl had died. He and I kept up a professional, and personal, friendship for 25 years or so. He was a wonderful gentleman as well as an internationally recognized scientist. My condolences to Susann and family. - Ron B.

while working for CCRS, I met Karl at 588 Booth St. in the 1990's. He was such a pleasant man and a gift to his division.

It was with great sadness I learnt of Karl's passing. He was a lovely person and of course, a scholar of global standing who cared deeply about (& helped to develop), the field of imaging spectrometry. I recall my many enlightening conversations with him, at CCRS & remote sensing conferences around the world. (President of Remote Sensing & Photogrammetry Society).

With profound sadness that I learned of Karl’s passing. I had the honor of working with Karl in 2014 during my visit at ATIC. As an internationally recognized scientist in Earth Observation, he generously shared his time, knowledge, and experience with me. His encouragement and support had a meaningful and lasting influence on both my personal and professional development. Karl always greeted others with a warm smile and approached both his work and life with optimism, kindness, and grace. He was consistently supportive and willing to help colleagues, students, and fellow researchers. Through his openness and positive spirit, he created a welcoming and collaborative environment at ATIC, where people felt respected, encouraged, and comfortable sharing ideas and learning from one another. Please accept my deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time. Karl will be greatly missed and will always be remembered with deep respect, gratitude, and affection.

Dear Staenz family, My deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences on the passing of Karl. My time with your family in Ottawa will forever hold a special place in my heart, and the memories I made with Karl and all of you are something I will always cherish. You are in my thoughts during this difficult time. With love, Katharina

I'm very sorry to hear about Karl's passing. Karl was a wonderful supervisor and mentor who truly cared about his students, and I'm very grateful for everything he did for me. He was one of the people who inspired me to pursue remote sensing, changing the course of my education from ecology and environmental science. I have never regretted that decision. On July 5, before hearing the sad news, I took this photo of a model train in a small art gallery in Tbilisi and thought that Karl would have liked it.

My sincere condolences on Karl's passing. I have worked with Karl starting in the mid 1980's. Together we promoted Canadian participation in hyperspectral programs in Canada and internationally. I am reminded of Karl's contributions everyday as I look at our poster for the Workshop on Hyperspectral Remote Sensing ( April 2000). Karl always displayed a reserved sense of humour and smile for his colleagues and friends. I remember him fondly and will miss him. May you find peace and comfort in the memories of the good times you shared. Allan

My heartfelt condolences with the loss of Karl. He was our colleague in the Department of Geography and Environment and for many years he had an office not far from mine in the Water Building. He was a kind and knowledgeable colleague with a positive outlook, a gentle leader, and was very well liked by his colleagues and students. As Director of ATIC he played a major role in shaping our remote sensing group and the related graduate education in in our department. In recent years, I would occasionally bump into him and Susann at the French bakehouse in town, where they would enjoy some good European bread and retirement leisure. Karl was always interested in news from the department, and with a smile and full of life would share his own interests and travel stories. He will be missed by many.

Susann and family, please accept our deepest condolences on the passing of Karl. I worked with Karl when your family first came to Canada, back in the heydays of CCRS. He was a respected, intelligent, and valued coworker who brought so much dedication and patience to our workplace. Gordon and Joy Plunkett

Dear Sussan, deepest condolences on Karl’s death. He was an outstanding scientist and a very kind man. I live in Victoria now. Sincerely, David Goodenough

I was deeply saddened when I heard that Karl left us on July 1st. I could hardly believe that it was true. Karl was a very kind, supportive, and thoughtful person who always cared about others. After my supervisor, Dr. Phil Teillet, retired, Karl kindly kept me on and offered me a Research Assistant position, allowing me to continue my career with the remote sensing team at the University of Lethbridge, particularly after he and Prof. Xu secured funding for the food security project. My last conversation with Karl was during last Christmas. I told him that I had a stent procedure after a severe heart attack in October. He encouraged me to keep exercising and eat less fatty food. I never imagined that it would be our final conversation. My deepest condolences go to Susann and her family. Karl will be deeply missed.

I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Karl. Please accept my heartfelt condolences during this incredibly difficult time. I had the privilege of working with Karl au University of Lethbridge, and I will always remember not only an exceptional colleague but also a truly wonderful human being. He was a mentor, a role model, and someone whose wisdom, kindness, integrity, and generosity left a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to know him. I am personally grateful for the guidance, encouragement, and example he provided for my career.

Karl and I worked and laughed for many years at the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing. As a friend and colleague we travelled together to many international conferences and enjoyed very special memories and meals. Rest in peace my good friend and condolences to your family.

I was deeply saddened to learn that Professor Karl Staenz passed away. Karl was a highly respected scientist whose outstanding contributions greatly advanced the field of remote sensing in Canada and around the world. He was also a true friend of NERCITA and made remarkable contributions to fostering Canada–China collaboration in remote sensing, as well as to the training of young scientists. Beyond his academic achievements, Karl was kind and easy to get along with. He cared deeply for his colleagues, friends, and students. I clearly remember the kindness he showed me during my visit to Lethbridge, especially our conversations while standing beside his Subaru. Those memories will always remain with me. My deepest condolences to his wife and family. May he rest in peace. Jihua Wang, Former Vice President of NERCITA

I am deeply saddened by this news. Karl and I had coffee together in February, and as recently as May 27, he was still emailing me about edits on one of his student’s papers. It is hard to believe he has left us. I feel very fortunate to work with Karl on many projects and to learn from him along the way. His passion for science and his dedication to his work were truly inspiring. I will always remember working with him on the computing environment for ATIC, including planning equipment and software needs. I remember, too, how patiently he explained the atmospheric transfer model, MODTRAN, and how generously he took the time to review my code and help debug a problem. The memories of preparing proposals and doing fieldwork together will always stay with me. I will also never forget the time he shared his hobby with me—his impressive model train in his basement, along with the stories behind each piece. It reflected the same curiosity, dedication, and thoughtfulness that he brought to everything he did. Karl was passionate and gentle, brilliant and humble, and always encouraging. He will be deeply missed. Jinkai Zhang-- July 8, 2026

Kari should have been my MSc thesis supervisor at UZH when he left for Canada. Klaus Itten did it instead and every time Kari came to Switzerland, we had great discussions. I owe my scientific impact mostly to Kari (and Klaus). He will remain in my memories forever.

Sincere condolences to Karl's family. I had many dealings with Karl as a collaborator while working for Dr. Anne Smith at AAFC. I found Karl to be patient, clever and comprehensive in his research and how he approached science. He leaves a tremendous gap in the remote sensing world, but his influence will continue through the numerous students he helped develop. Karl also had a tremendous ablity to connect with people. We will miss him.

So genuinely sad to hear that Karl has left us. He was a genuinely gentle man and a good friend to many of us. He made important scientific contributions in Canadian and Intenational science. He will be missed.

I am deeply saddened by this news. Karl and I had coffee together not long ago — it is hard to believe he is gone. Karl was a warm person, always with a big smile. Whenever he passed by my office, he would say hello and repeatedly say we should do something together that integrates science, social science, and policy. That persistent, gentle insistence was the beginning of a friendship and collaboration that spanned years, supported dozens of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and took us to field sites in rural China. He was passionate yet gentle, brilliant yet humble, and genuinely well-liked by everyone who crossed his path. I will never forget visiting his basement and watching his face light up with pure, childlike joy as his trains ran through hand-built mountains and tunnels, signal lights flashing — a magnificent world he had created from scratch, down to the tiniest hand-painted details. He will be profoundly missed.

My condolences, this is a huge loss to the remote sensing community. I was fortunate to work and learn from Karl on a number of projects. He will be missed. Shane

I worked closely with Karl for decades at CCRS and for years at the University of Lethbridge. Although we were not in touch much since we left Lethbridge, mainly annual Christmas greetings, we have fond memories of Karl. He was a great colleague, a global hyper-spectral remote sensing pioneer, an exceptional model railroad aficionado, and a really nice guy. Our sincere condolences to Susann and family. Phil and Elaine

Please accept our deepest condolences. Karl was instrumental in elevating our department in the area of Remote Sensing, and had played a pivotal role in our programs. He was an inspiration to students and faculty, and continued his research even after he retired. He will be sadly missed by his colleagues and friends in the Department of Geography and Environment at the University of Lethbridge.

So sorry to hear about this.... our condolences to the family. Dr. Karl was one of the best human beings I've crossed my path with and learnt from. He will be dearly missed..

I had the privilege of working with Karl in Ottawa at CCRS, and he was the co-advisor for my MSc. Karl was very thorough in his research, and always had creative ideas. I'll remember his kindness most of all. My thoughts are with you in this difficult time. Sending my deepest condolences to Karl's family and friends. He will be missed.

Dear Susann, Eric, Vanessa, and family, I am so sorry for your loss. When I first came to Canada as an international student, Karl was more than a supervisor, he was a father figure to me. He supported my master’s research through his NSERC Discovery Grant and gave me the chance to grow as a research and teaching assistant. I still remember when I took Advanced Remote Sensing and barely passed the midterm. When Karl handed me the paper, he said, “Subir, you cannot give up. This is not the end of the world.” I never forgot that. I worked harder, ended up getting a B+ in the course, and later became one of his master’s students. Karl planted the seed of remote sensing in me, as he did for many of his students. His guidance shaped the career path I followed. I will always remember his fieldwork advice: “Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t ride a cow. Don’t take the spectral signature of a cow.” That was Karl, practical, funny, brilliant, and caring in his own way. It is hard to believe he is gone. I will always carry forward what I learned from his leadership, his scientific mind, and the way he guided his students. In true Karl fashion, he did not want a funeral service, so modest, simple, and very much like him. Rest in peace, Karl.

We were very sorry to hear of Karl's passing. Our thoughts are with you and family. Karl gave me my start at CCRS. - Peter