+ Karlo J. Mirth 1917 - 2013

+ Karlo J. Mirth 1917 - 2013

Karlo J. Mirth, age 96, died peacefully at home, with his loving family at his side on December 21, 2013. He was born on July 15, 1917 in Otocac, Croatia to Karlo and Antonja Certalic Mirth. He went on to study Forestry and Engineering at the Croatian University, in Zagreb, and received a Master's degree in civil engineering. Severely wounded during World War II, he was forced to flee to Italy's refugee Camp Fermo at the conclusion of the war. From 1946 to 1947, he studied journalism at the University of Rome. He later studied in Barcelona and Madrid, Spain, where he met his future wife, Mercedes Velarde. They were married in 1955 and emigrated to the United States, raising four children in New York City. While working at the Foster Wheeler Corporation as a civil engineer, he studied Library Sciences at Columbia University and received a Master's degree. He then became manager of the research library at Foster Wheeler Corporation till his retirement at age seventy. He was a prolific writer of many articles relating to Croatian culture and history. He was also a publisher and editor of two journals. Croatia Press, Review and News Bulletin was started in Rome and continued in Spain and the United States from 1947 to 1980. He was active in the Croatian Academy of the United States and its scholarly journal, The Journal of Croatian Studies. He was president of the Academy for many years and made Honorary President for Life in 1993, in recognition of his significant contributions. He final literary achievement was the publication of his book, Zivot U Emigraciji (Life as an Emigree), in 2003. He was a kind and gentle father who instilled the love of nature and science, and the value of education and achievement over worldly goods. He was predeceased by his wife of 41 years, Mercedes Velarde Mirth. He is survived by his four children, Karlo A. Mirth and his wife Alison, of Forest Hills, NY; George P. Mirth and his wife Linda, of Saratoga, CA; Maria Christina Mirth MD, of Farmington, CT; Anne Marie Mirth MD and her husband David, of Sterling, MA. He leaves behind four grandchildren, Sydney and Zachary Mirth, and Tanya and Nadia Gauthier.