Peter Karoly
Peter Karoly, Esquire
Peter J. Karoly, 53, of Bethlehem, prominent area attorney and businessman, died February 2, 2007, along with his wife of 22 years, Dr. Lauren Angstadt, when his private plane crashed in Massachusetts. Mr. Karoly was a member of Dubbs Memorial United Church of Christ, Allentown, and St. Paul's United Church of Christ, Kutztown. He was one of six children born in Allentown to John P. Karoly Sr. and Stella Fischl Karoly. He graduated from Louis E. Diedruff High School in 1970 and received his B.A. and B.S. degrees from Kings College in 1974. Upon graduation, he became a senior accountant with Coopers & Lybrand, New York City, where, after three years, he was hired away as a senior accountant by another big eight accounting firm, Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. He then attended Pepperdine University School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctorate in 1981. Peter worked awhile with his brother at Karoly & Karoly Law Offices P.C., Allentown. He was a proficient trial lawyer but Peter opened his own office so he could pursue business interests as well as continue his litigation practice. That practice produced numerous successful business enterprises and developed into a thriving personal injury and medical malpractice firm with offices at 1511-1525 Hamilton St., Allentown.
Peter J. Karoly, 53, of Bethlehem, prominent area attorney and businessman, died February 2, 2007, along with his wife of 22 years, Dr. Lauren Angstadt, when his private plane crashed in Massachusetts. Mr. Karoly was a member of Dubbs Memorial United Church of Christ, Allentown, and St. Paul's United Church of Christ, Kutztown. He was one of six children born in Allentown to John P. Karoly Sr. and Stella Fischl Karoly. He graduated from Louis E. Diedruff High School in 1970 and received his B.A. and B.S. degrees from Kings College in 1974. Upon graduation, he became a senior accountant with Coopers & Lybrand, New York City, where, after three years, he was hired away as a senior accountant by another big eight accounting firm, Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. He then attended Pepperdine University School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctorate in 1981. Peter worked awhile with his brother at Karoly & Karoly Law Offices P.C., Allentown. He was a proficient trial lawyer but Peter opened his own office so he could pursue business interests as well as continue his litigation practice. That practice produced numerous successful business enterprises and developed into a thriving personal injury and medical malpractice firm with offices at 1511-1525 Hamilton St., Allentown.
Among Peters successful business ventures is a Pioneer Internet Medical Imaging Company, eRad Inc., with offices around the world. eRad was one of the first companies capable of instantaneously transmitting patient charts and diagnostic studies such as X-rays, Echos and M.R.I.s anywhere in the world for treatment or interpretation. Peter was also the president and C.E.O. of Physicians Imaging Centers in Greenville and Charleston, both of South Carolina.
Peters entrepreneurial ship included bringing professional baseball back to the Lehigh Valley. For eight years, the community was treated to the Allentown Ambassadors, Independent League baseball. Peters express goal was to make attending professional baseball games exciting and affordable to everyone in the community. His team manager, Hall of Famer Ed Ott, brought a league championship to Allentown and set several records for fan attendance along the way. Peter had succeeded in having several million dollars placed in the approved state budget to build a new stadium for the team, but bureaucratic red tape held up the disbursement, causing the team to disband in 2005, but yet paving the way for Allentown's new AAA affiliate.
Peters litigation successes were numerous and included a $22 million dollar medical malpractice verdict against Sacred Heart Hospital, Allentown. In his typical charitable style, Peter immediately became a regular Sacred Heart Foundation contributor. He was also a regular sponsor of numerous charitable events, including much beloved golf outings in which he and often his wife Lauren participated. When a Lehigh County deputy sheriff was shot and killed in the line of duty, Peter immediately supplied the entire department with bulletproof vests.
Peter was a member of numerous law-related and other associations, including The Roscoe Pound Foundation, American Association for Justice, The Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association, Lehigh County Bar Association, Phi Delta Phi Honor Society, Brookside Country Club, The Cliffs at Glassy Country Club, Kingsmill, Williamsburg, Va., and Lobster Pond. He was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, The United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Survivors: Sisters Kim R. Luciano and her husband Jim of Kissimmee, Fla.; Candice Karoly Pamerleau and her husband Don of Annandale, N.J., Joanne M. Billman and her husband Teddy of Monks Corner, S.C. Brothers John P. Karoly Jr., Esq., and his wife Rebecca of Allentown, Joseph J. Karoly and his wife Brenda of Winnsboro, S.C.; Michael J. Karoly and stepmother, Edith Karoly, both of Sommerville, S.C.; numerous nieces and nephews.
Services: A memorial service was held at 11 a.m. Saturday, February 10, 2007, at Dubbs Memorial United Church of Christ, 457 Allen St., Allentown, with Rev. Dr. David C. Brown officiating. Interment will be private. Arrangements, J.S. Burkholder Funeral Home, Allentown.
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