Celebrating the Life of
Karl Ludwig Zambon
January 31, 1940 — March 21, 2024
Obituary
Born in Kiel, Germany in 1940, to Tamara & Alfred Zambon. Karl had one sister, Gitta. Being born during a time of war in a seaport town, his formative years were surrounded with hardship and the family showed strength as well as levity amongst adversity. As a young man Karl was known to love an eclectic array of music. He played piano by ear, figuring out how to play his favorite tunes, and music has always been a source of joy for Karl.
He left home at a young age to work in different places, traveling to many countries. Being the spiritual seeker, Karl saved all his money to buy a motorcycle, complete with a sidecar. That motorcycle took him on the journey of a lifetime from Germany, through the Middle East, India, island hopping through Indonesia, all the way to Australia. He was in search of answers that took years of testing which religion or spiritual practice could fulfill God’s plan for him and the world as a whole. Ultimately, he found what he was looking for once he arrived home in Germany. After a lot of prayer and fasting to confirm if this was the way, Karl joined the Unification Church in 1978.
In 1979, Karl was matched by Rev. Moon to Katharina Thiessen and was Blessed in marriage on July 1st, 1982. They moved to Alabama and lived there for 14 years, creating a beautiful family with four children; Michelle, Michael, Abigail, and Glorianna.
Karl’s life has always been tied to his love for the ocean. From the seaside of his hometown in Kiel, Germany, to where he raised his family on the gulf coast in Bayou la Batre, Alabama and later Bridgeport, CT, Karl has always found peace by the water. Karl insisted on being included in the church seafood business in Alabama, starting on a shrimping boat and later as a salesman for rock shrimp to retailers across the US, cementing his love for seafood.
In 1997 he moved with his family to Paraguay to join Katharina in establishing a latin branch of the newspaper, The Washington Times. With only a basic grasp of Spanish from his time in Spain, he ventured into the unknown, knowing that God had called them to this land for a purpose. During this time, he discovered his passion for building a point of connection to the Mennonite community, of which his wife, Katharina, is originally from. He felt compelled to create a yearly celebration commemorating the arrival of the Mennonites in Paraguay. Their port of entry is located on the land that had been purchased by the church. These efforts helped to build a bridge between the Mennonite community and the Unification church.
As the time came to leave Paraguay, each child made their way back to the US, one by one, and Karl was the first parent to return to be there as Katharina finished her role in Paraguay. This period showcased Karl's resilience as he started anew in New Jersey, working small jobs to make ends meet.
In 2004, Katharina finally joined Karl in Bridgeport, CT where they established their roots until today. Karl served as a dorm parent for BIA and building manager for the Seaside building, where he worked tirelessly and with unwavering loyalty until his retirement at the age of 77.
During this time, his children all got married and had children of their own. Karl was a loving and playful grandfather, currently having 6 grandchildren with one more on the way!
Karl was a man with spiritual fortitude, living his life by spiritual inspiration and a desire to serve a higher purpose. He was incredibly bold and steadfast, and he lived his life by heaven’s principles until the very end.
