Dr. Karl N. Haws, Jr.

Dr. Karl N. Haws, Jr., of Santa Barbara, California, passed away peacefully on October 1, 2026, with several of his seven children by his side. He was 94 years old and lived a long and remarkable life filled with service to his family, his church, and his community.

Karl was born on September 20, 1932, in South Gate California, but his parents moved to Santa Barbara during his youth, and he always considered it his hometown. He graduated from Santa Barbara High School and participated in ROTC and played trombone in the High School band. He loved Santa Barbara High School football and followed it closely for his entire life. He was a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Shortly after moving to Santa Barbara, Karl discovered the Boy Scouts of America and became a lifelong scouter. The character-building principles of his religion and of scouting became part of his daily life and he earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He served as a volunteer scoutmaster for 50 years and had a profound positive influence on the lives of hundreds of young men who remember him fondly and with respect. All five of his sons are Eagle Scouts. He had the courage and ability to take young men into the High Sierras or in the local mountains for backpacking trips lasting up to 10 days - with no cell phones - and he provided the planning and leadership for these trips dozens of times. All returned safely and with life-changing experiences of adventure and self-reliance. At age 80, while still serving as a scoutmaster, Karl was recognized nationally with the BSA National Eagle Scout Award of Merit based on his lifetime of service to young men. He also served as the President of the Mission Council of BSA and was awarded the Silver Beaver and the District Award of Merit.

Karl decided to become a dentist at an early age and was accepted at the University of San Francisco School of Dentistry. While in dental school, he met and married Marion Engel who was a student at UC Berkeley. They were both the first members of their respective families to graduate from college. They were married for 67 years until Marion passed away in 2023. Karl and Marion had 7 children that were all raised in Santa Barbara. Their children have a 22-year age span and their seventh child, a boy, was born when Karl and Marion were 48 years old. They have 30 grandchildren and 30 great grandchildren (and counting). Karl practiced dentistry in the same building on State Street in Santa Barbara for over 50 years. Karl loved dentistry as a craft and an art and loved to describe how he approached and fixed dental problems and helped people in pain.

Karl and Marion loved and appreciated old homes and spent much of their life with their children refurbishing the exterior, interior and landscaping of various homes that they owned or that their children owned. Karl was a tireless worker and never stopped looking for the next remodeling or home improvement project. There was very little within an old home that Karl could not fix or improve. He and Marion also designed and remodeled a second home in Mink Creek, Idaho, where they spent many months with their children and grandchildren. Karl loved the upkeep and toil required to keep a small ranch, barn, orchard and associated structures up and running. He was a skilled outdoorsman and loved to hunt, fish, backpack, ride ATVs and scuba dive. He was a skilled boater and piloted many overnight trips by boat to the Channel Islands. He loved nature and the self-reliance required to be comfortable deep in nature and away from civilization. His ability to cook for large groups and in wilderness settings was well known and appreciated.

Karl loved and lived his religion without compromise throughout his life. He completed many responsibilities within the LDS faith including 5 years as a Bishop and 11 years as a member of the Santa Barbara Stake Presidency. Throughout all the many and varied events in his life, he avoided leisure as a waste of time and embraced productivity, honorable work, and service to others. He is famous for routinely looking at others -especially his children - and declaring with a smile, “So, what are we going to accomplish today?” He was an authentic man full of determination, good intentions and Christ-like virtues. He was a significant force for good, and he will be greatly missed. His legacy, however, through his posterity and those he nurtured, modeled and taught, will go on.

Karl is survived by his seven children, Karl (Kasey) Haws (Julia) of Mink Creek, ID.; Andrea Haws Harper (James) of Highland, UT.; Lauren Haws Nash (Ken) of Santa Ynez, CA.; Max Haws (Kelli) of Santa Barbara, CA.; Peter Haws (Gretchen) of Solvang, CA; Adam Haws (Camene) of Solvang, CA.; and Aaron Haws (Heather) of Meridian, ID. He is also survived by his younger brother Donald Haws (Holly) and by grandchildren and great grandchildren in a number that will continue to grow.

Funeral Services will be held at the Santa Barbara Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on October 24, 2026, at 11AM and at the Mink Creek Idaho Chapel, 7316 N. Capitol Hill Rd. Preston, Idaho on November 7, 2026, at 11AM. ZOOM will be available for the Santa Barbara service at ZOOM Code 95624918372. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at webbmortuary.com.