Karl Boeckmann, a longtime civic and business leader in the San Fernando Valley, died Aug. 4 of cancer. He was 85.An accountant, Boeckmann was a longtime vice president of Galpin Motors, which is owned by his brother and which comprises a collection of auto dealerships and car-related entities. But Boeckmann was widely known for his civic involvement.His charitable contributions to the community included serving on the boards of Goodwill, New Directions for Youth, Pierce College, the Diabetes Association, and what was then named Providence Tarzana Hospital. Boeckmann also was a founding director of the LAPD Valley Foundation.But he was probably best known for his long affiliation with two of the most prominent awards in the San Fernando Valley: the Fernando Award Foundation, which each year gives the Fernando Award to an active and significant community volunteer, and the Justice Armand Arabian Leaders in Public Service Awards, which in recent years were given out by Boeckmann and Rickey Gelb of the Gelb Group real estate firm.David Honda, who heads D.S. Honda Construction Co. and who was the longtime chair of the Fernando Award Foundation board, described Boeckmann as the “quiet gentleman” between the Fernando Awards and Galpin Motors, which supported the award.
“I met Karl in 1992,” Honda said.
“He was our go-to person” for years for backing for the Fernando Awards, considered the highest honor for Valley area volunteerism. Beyond that, Honda volunteered, “I will personally miss him.”Gelb said: “Karl and I and Armand Arabian started the (Arabian) awards luncheon 20 years ago,” which honored local leaders who made a positive impact on the community.
The awards have been suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Arabian died three years ago, and now that Boeckmann has died, Gelb said, “I’m not sure what we’re going to do, whether to continue with it or not.”Besides giving out awards, Boeckmann also received many. He was a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, One Generation Hearts Across the Valley award and in 2004 was given the Fernando Award. He was regularly included in the Business Journal’s Valley 200 list of most influential people, including one published a month ago.A statement from Galpin said: “Over his lifetime, Karl built a legacy of dedication, hard work, integrity, leadership and community involvement. Both he and (his wife) Thyra have volunteered an immeasurable amount of time and energy to a variety of worthy causes.”Boeckmann was born and raised in Glendale. After graduating from USC, he spent two years in the Army and then worked five years for the accounting firm that became Touche Ross.In 1964, he joined his brother, Bert Boeckmann, at Galpin Ford, now in North Hills. Bert Boeckmann that year had become majority owner and president of the car dealership that went on to be the largest seller of Fords for 29 years and which spawned more than a dozen other car dealerships and related entities. Karl Boeckmann remained a vice president of Galpin Motors.Bert Boeckmann’s wife, Jane Boeckmann, 90, died three months ago.
Karl Boeckmann, Valley Leader, Dies
