It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of the Hon. David K. Karnes, 33°. He passed away on Sunday, October 25, 2020 at age 71, after a months-long battle with cancer.
David K. Karnes was born in Omaha, Nebraska on December 12, 1948. He graduated Benson High School with the Class of 1967, and attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln for his undergraduate education, graduating in 1971. As an undergrad he joined Beta Theta Pi fraternity, serving one term as chapter president. He remained in Lincoln to attend law school. In 1981, Karnes was selected and served as a White House Fellow. Following his tenure at the White House, in 1982 Karnes became executive assistant to the Under Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Ronald Reagan and subsequently served as special counsel for the Federal Home Loan Bank Board. In 1983 he became chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka Board of Directors, serving in that capacity from 1983–1987. During that time, he also served as general counsel for an agribusiness and merchandising firm.
After the death of Senator Edward Zorinsky in 1987, David Karnes was appointed to fill out his term by then-Governor Kay Orr. Karnes said his biggest consideration in whether to accept the plum political post was its impact on his young family. "My family is number one with me," he said at the time.
While in the Senate, Karnes served on the Banking Committee, including its Securities and Consumer Credit subcommittees, as well as the Agriculture Committee and Small Business Committees. He ran for re-election in 1988, but was defeated by Bob Kerrey. While Karnes is probably best known publicly for the brief two years he served as a U.S. Senator from Nebraska, he carved out a much larger legacy in Omaha as a devoted family man deeply involved in the city’s civic, legal and charitable communities.
Karnes joined Kutak Rock immediately after his Senate tenure ended in January 1989 and served as the firm’s principal federal legislative and executive branch lobbyist for over 28 years. Among his clients were local government organizations, nonprofits and health care organizations.
Karnes served on the boards of, or acted as an advisor to, publicly traded U.S. companies, including Fannie Mae, Data Transmission Network Corporation and RJT Securities, Inc., Orion Healthcare Corporation (healthcare technology), Waitt Media, Inc. (broadcasting, commercial advertising and entertainment), Tri Med Research]], Inc. (medical technology), Farnam Group, Inc. (multifamily real estate development), Regency Court, L.L.C. (retail real estate), and Big Red Companies, Inc. (gaming and technology).
While in Lincoln, he began dating Elizabeth Lueder, whose father Bob Lueder, 33° was president of Lueder Construction, and served on the Valley of Omaha Scottish Rite Cathedral Board. The two were married in August, 1971, raising four daughters. David Karnes and Dr. Elizabeth Karnes were married until her death in 2003.
After his wife’s death, Karnes founded Liz’s Legacy, a charity dedicated to funding cancer research in partnership with UNMC He also helped launch Kicks for a Cure, which has also raised money for cancer research.
In June, 2008, Karnes married Kristine Dorn, a partner at Kutak Rock, and they had two children together.
Karnes was on the founding board of the Omaha Children's Museum and over the years served on numerous other charitable boards, including Methodist Hospital, Omaha Home for Boys and the local chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, now known as Inclusive Communities. He was appointed by Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert in 2018 to the airport board, a position that decades earlier had been held by Liz.
For all his contributions to Omaha and the state, David Karnes in 2012 was honored with the Distinguished Nebraskalander Award from the Nebraskaland Foundation.
David Karnes was raised a Master Mason on April 21, 1981 at George W. Lininger Lodge #268. He joined the Omaha Valley Scottish Rite in March, 1989, and was invested a Knight Commander of the Court of Honour in October, 1999. He was Coroneted a 33° Inspector General Honorary in December, 2005. David Karnes served as President of the Scottish Rite Foundation of Omaha Board for many years. David Karnes was also a Charter member of Albert Pike Lodge #333, and was dedicated to the Masonic fraternity.
Said U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, “Dave was a great man who tirelessly served Nebraskans. His work in Washington and here at home helped so many folks across our state. His selflessness and hard work made Nebraska proud.” County Commissioner and former Mayor Mike Boyle recalled “Party never came into anything when he was dealing with me. He was just a down-to-earth, nice guy.”
SGIG Charles V. Sederstrom, Jr., 33° remembered David Karnes, saying, “He was a true gentleman, and he brought the same dedication to the Scottish Rite Foundation of Omaha that he brought to any venture he was involved with. He would not get involved just to be a prominent name on the letterhead, and he was as concerned with Scottish Rite philanthropies as he was with any other civic or philanthropic endeavor.”
Memorials may be made to the Scottish Rite Foundation of Omaha, Liz’s Legacy, or the philanthropy of your choice. Funeral arrangements are pending at present.