Karl Otto Gehrke, 63, of Sioux Falls, SD went to his heavenly home on June 9, 2026.

Karl was born on June 29, 1962 in Iowa City, IA, the son of Henry and Alice Gehrke. His parents moved to Brookings, SD in 1964 where Karl grew up. He was confirmed at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Brookings and remained a member. He graduated from Brookings High School in 1980 and Augustana College in Sioux Falls in 1984.

Karl filled a special role in his family that no one else can fill. He lived close enough to his parents that he was always available when they needed him. He was committed to building and keeping close relationships among the generations in his family. Karl doted on his nieces and nephews (and the children of his friends) and he was their beloved Uncle Karl. Karl did everything he could to be sure that they had a good time whenever they visited South Dakota, especially at Christmas in Brookings and over the Fourth of July at his parent’s cabin at Lake Poinsett. He created stories set to music that he wrote and performed about adventures of Pat the Pelican at the lake. They all can sing the songs and do the “Pelican Dance.” They are now passing on Karl’s stories and music to their own children.

Karl’s love for music developed early in his childhood. As a preschooler he was fascinated by turntables and reel-to-reel tape recorders and would watch them turn while listening to his parents’ record albums and tapes, which covered diverse genres. He developed a special love for jazz and Big Band music by middle school and regularly went to the Brookings Library to check out more records and books about artists and their music.

Almost his entire career was spent working in various roles in public radio. He started in 1985 as a reporter for Minnesota Public Radio in Worthington, MN. He spent a few years in Sioux Falls at the Lawrence & Schiller advertising agency before moving on to become the Arts Advocate at South Dakota Public Broadcasting (SDPB) in 1991. A few years later Karl created the Big Band Spotlight program which has run regularly on SDPB ever since. Karl then spent a number of years as a classical music radio host, first at WCAL at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN and then with MPR in St. Paul, MN. Subsequently, he returned to SDPB for the remainder of his career. His first role upon his return to SDPB was as the creator and performer of the radio show Extended Play. His show centered on a record store in a small town and the escapades of the eccentric customers and recurring characters. One memorable show was inspired by Orson Welles’ broadcast of the “War of the Worlds”, but in Karl’s world he saved the town from invading space aliens by flinging archimelons at them. He then switched to hosting the SDPB news program Dakota Midday. But his final role at SDPB was the highlight of his career: to serve as the host of the show Jazz Nightly for the past 11 years, an opportunity that was the dream job of his childhood – to play jazz for people. At each stage of his career, he made good friends that he retained for decades. SDPB has recognized his importance to colleagues and listeners across the state in stories that can be found at sdpb.org.

https://www.sdpb.org/sdpb-press/2026-06-10/sdpb-deeply-mourns-the-loss-of-beloved-host-karl-gehrke

https://www.sdpb.org/2026-06-10/sdpb-mourns-loss-of-beloved-jazz-nightly-host-karl-gehrke?shem=rimspwouoe

Karl was a selfless son, brother and friend. His love and kindness for others ran deep and was evident in how he cared for his friends and family, especially his parents. His quick wit, sense of humor and friendliness delighted all who had the pleasure to have known him. He spent countless hours at the family cabin at Lake Poinsett helping to protect it from floods, replanting grass after floods, and doing repairs and maintenance. He loved his time relaxing on the deck with friends and family and watching the sun set over the lake. His was a life that was well-lived. He was blessed to have been able to build a career where he could pass on his love of music to family, friends, and his audiences in South Dakota, Minnesota and online.

He is survived by his father, Henry, Brookings; siblings Stevin (Kathy), Lawrence, KS; Bruce (Jackie), Parkville, MO; Katherine (Mark), Lenexa, KS; and nieces and nephews Matthew, Thomas (Bekah), Marie (Kyle), Lucas (Caroline), Aaron (Laura), Samuel (Katelyn), Alison, Sarah, Leah; great-nieces Parker, Maia, Brooke, Isla, Elizabeth, great-nephew Henry and many, many friends. Karl is preceded in death by his mother, Alice Gehrke.

Visitation will be Tuesday, June 16th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Eidsness Funeral Home, Brookings SD with a prayer service following. The Funeral Service will be held at Mt Calvary Lutheran Church in Brookings, SD on Wednesday, June 17th at 10:00 am followed by committal at Bakke Cemetery at Lake Poinsett, Estelline SD.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to South Dakota Public Broadcasting and may be left in care of Eidsness Funeral Home.