Karl Opryshek Of Bayton Dies at 66

Karl Opryshek, 66, Baytown school trustee and retired Humble Oil & Refining Co., chemical process superintendent, died Sunday in San Jacinto Methodist Hospital.

Born in a small village on the Polish-Austrian border in 1899, he came to the United States with his family at the age of 12. The family settled in New Braunfels, where the father operated a restaurant.

Opryshek was graduated with a degree in chemistry from Texas A&M in 1922 and joined the Humble Co. in Baytown that year. He retired in 1958.

He first ran for the Baytown school board in 1960 and lost by two votes. He was elected in 1961 and re-elected in 1964. He had been a severe critic of Supt. George Gentry.

Survivors are two daughters, Mrs. Carl Koenig of Baytown and Mrs. Billy Joe Todd of Houston; son, Dr. Karl W. Opryshek of Baytown; sister, Mrs. Anna Emig of California; brother John of Austin, and seven grandchildren.

Services will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday in First Baptist Church in Baytown. Burial will be in New Braunfels.

Posted by Matt Cross