Greece – Douglas James Klein (74 years) was called home to our Heavenly Father on November 26, 2018. He was born June 13, 1944, in Buffalo, New York, the son of Ivy and Lewis Klein. Doug, jokingly, but fittingly, referred to by friends and family as “a workaholic,” started delivering papers at age 11 until he became an apprentice at his neighborhood butcher shop where he met his future wife Elaine (predeceased), who was a regular customer.
Soon after obtaining his Bachelor’s degree from State University at Buffalo, in ’69 Doug followed his brother to Rochester, New York, to begin his career at Kodak. During those 32 years as a manager in the Credit Department at Kodak, Doug embraced a new role as loving father to son Aron and daughter Jessica and ingratiated himself in the Rochester community volunteering with Scouts and coaching sports teams, all while teaching his children the value of three things – their name, their credit, and their word.
He retired from Kodak in 2001 and began a part-time job with Greece Central School District as a bus aide, where he was blessed to cross paths and meet great love and steadfast caretaker, Judith (Burkowski), a fellow Buffalo native, whom he would marry in 2014, adding to his family a stepdaughter Cindy and stepson Steven.
Doug enjoyed spending his weekends at his cottage located on Silver Lake in Perry, New York, serving as the Silver Lake Association Tract Director for over twenty years, driving around in his ’49 Ford, and walking his yellow Lab Winnie. Doug’s dependable nature and dry sense of humor will be missed by family, friends, neighbors, and former colleagues.
Surviving him are his wife Judy; children Aron Klein of Nashville, TN, and Jessica Sheldon of Charlotte, NC; stepchildren Cindy (Jeremy) Burkowski of San Francisco, CA, and Steven Burkowski of Rochester, NY; brother Gordon (Donna) Klein; brother-in-law Richard (Gail) Killian of Tucker, Georgia; sister-in-law Bonnie Killian; and three nieces and three nephews and their families. Predeceased by Lewis and Ivy Klein, Leon and Joan Killian, Elaine Klein, and brother-in-law Donald Killian.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Alzheimer’s Association or John Knox Presbyterian Church. A Memorial Service will be held Thursday, December 20, 2018, at John Knox Presbyterian Church, 3233 W Ridge Road at 7 PM.
