Carl "Max" Kortepeter

Carl "Max" Kortepeter passed away on October 8, 2021, at the Restoracy care home, Whitestown, Indiana, from congestive heart failure.
Professor Kortepeter spent three decades at New York University teaching about the Middle East, ultimately retiring as an Emeritus Professor. At different times, he maintained homes in Belle Mead, NJ, New Russia, NY, and Canada. A true "Renaissance man," Max was fluent in several languages and was most in his element traveling, teaching, and interacting with friends, students, and colleagues from around the world.
Max was born in Southport, Indiana and graduated from Tech High School, where he played the trumpet and became senior class president. He received a BA in American Studies from Harvard University, an MA in Islamic Studies at McGill University and a PhD in Middle East History from the University of London. He became a renowned Ottoman scholar, served as a consultant on the Middle East, and wrote and edited dozens of articles and books on the subject.
Max was also proud of his military service, spending over eight years (active and reserve) in the Army, reaching the rank of Master Sergeant, and First Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He served in military intelligence in post-World War II Germany.
He met his future wife, Cynthia Ann King on a blind date in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They were married in 1957 and enjoyed 62 years of marriage.
Professor Kortepeter was the life of any party. During his days at NYU, he and Cynthia would host large gatherings for his colleagues and students, where guests wore their cultural garb, listened to music, danced, and dined on Middle Eastern food.
Cynthia predeceased him in 2019. He is survived by his brother Paul and sister Martha (Schmidt), his six children, Karl, Paul, Mark, Erica (Ragan), Adam, and Serena (Baskin), 21 grandchildren, and an "adopted son," Mustafa Demirkaya. The funeral service will be held at 2:30 pm Sunday, October 17 at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church of Carmel, Indiana. In lieu of flowers, Max requested donations be sent to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, or the Nature Conservancy.