Richard Craig Klein

Richard Craig Klein, 78, passed away peacefully at AccentCare Hospice in Cumming, Georgia the morning of January 18, 2025. A celebration of life gathering will be held on April 5th at 10am in the Kenilworth Assembly Hall in Kenilworth, Illinois. Visitation with family members and friends will follow the memorial service at the same location. He was predeceased by his parents Dick and Margaret Klein. Born October 4, 1946, “Rock” lived all but two years of his youth in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago, mostly in Kenilworth. He graduated from New Trier High School in 1964, and graduated from DePauw University in 1969 with a B.A. in Economics. He then earned his MBA from Southern Methodist University in 1971. Two years later, Rock joined the faculty in the Business School at Oregon State University, then moved to Bellingham, Washington in the Business School at Western Washington State University. Following his university assignments, he returned to the Chicago suburbs, applying his academic credentials in Organizational Development in a management training role at Automatic Electric, a subsidiary of GTE. He then moved to Washington, D.C. in a new role with GTE. Rock left the corporate world, exploring several different short term employment experiences before deciding to return to teaching for the State of Virginia at the high school level. After teaching, he retired in Bend, Oregon where he lived for all but the last two years of his life. His final years were spent in Atlanta as he worked to overcome long-standing health issues, which eventually became acute. From an early age, Rock loved music and dancing. He frequently visited dancefloors of popular night spots and enjoyed spontaneous dancing at home to his favorite tracks (often as exercise or to counteract harsh winter days). Even late in life, when his mobility was challenged, he would bounce and shimmy in a chair while mouthing the words to his favorite tunes. His infectious laugh and engaging smile brightened the room for anyone around him. Throughout his life, he loved and participated in multiple sports, especially football, basketball, and baseball. He also wrestled and coached a high school wrestling team. He started as defensive tackle for DePauw for three years and maintained close, life-long connections with his teammates. Rock also loved the outdoors with all of its natural beauty, wildlife, and recreational opportunities including kayaking, canoeing, hiking, skiing, camping, and fishing. His passion for the outdoors was typified by enrolling in the National Outdoor Leadership School for a dedicated 90 day training experience in leadership, self-development, and wilderness survival skills. Rock was also a thoughtful and spiritual man with a very kind heart and love of family. He enjoyed reading a broad range of non-fiction subjects that prompted philosophical thoughts about life, and he also liked expansive fiction works like Dune. He loved movies too, especially westerns, comedies, action and adventure plots. He was active in churches in suburban Virginia and later in Bend, Oregon where he was part of a bible study group and a member of the First Presbyterian Church. He also visited Eastmont Church, a two block walk from his home. His house occasionally provided short-term living space for individuals who were working through a difficult economic time in their life, which Rock had experienced himself. He often praised and thanked God silently and outloud for many positive turns of events in his life, including his final years in Atlanta as he progressively improved his mobility in the face of continuing health challenges. Rock is survived by his two brothers, Greg and Mark and their extended families, his only daughter Sarah Casey, the mother of his two grandchildren, Margaret (Molly) and Dalton. In lieu of flowers or other remembrances, the family invites you to make a donation to NOLS, the National Outdoor Leadership School. Here is a link to a page on the NOLS website honoring Rock and his love of the outdoors: https://nolsd365-webapp-prod.azurewebsites.net/Donation/memorialgiving-1/