WILLIAM KLING

KLING, William, 89, of Huntsville, passed away Monday. Mr. Kling was born in New Orleans. He graduated from Isadore Newman School where he was the manager of the swim team. He attended the University of Alabama and was the Head Manager of the 1938 football team under Coach Frank Thomas. He was a member of the (A÷ Club. After serving in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1941 to 1946, he married Margaret Anne (Peggy÷ Rothschild. They moved to Greensboro where he worked for the Greensboro Packing Company. Bill and Peggy moved to Huntsville in 1950, and Bill opened the Valley Pride Packing Company. Valley Pride sponsored the first Youth Concert of the Huntsville Civic Orchestra on April 26, 1958. Bill served as the youngest executive ever elected to the Board of Directors of the American Meat Institute and was also on the Board of the Alabama Cattleman's Association. After his retirement in 1966, Bill served on the first Airport Authority that oversaw the building of the present Huntsville-Madison County Airport. His long volunteer career continued as he served an unprecedented three years as President of the Board of Directors of the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Association from 1973 to 1976. It was during that time that the von Braun Civic Center was built and had the premier of Lee Hoiby's and Barrie Stavis' commissioned oratorio (Galileo Galilei÷ with John Reardon of the Metropolitan Opera, Max Worthley, Mary Beth Peil and Huntsville's own Albert Lane and Lady Shivers Tucker as soloists. (As I looked out over the packed audience seated in that magnificent concert hall, a great big lump came in my throat,÷ said Bill. Bill was nominated for the Virginia Hamill Simms Award by the Huntsville Symphony Association in 1977. He was a member of the Huntsville County Club for 50 years and a member of the Huntsville Rotary Club since 1950, where he was a Russel Barber Fellow and a Paul Harris Fellow. He leaves his wife of 60 years, Peggy, a resident of Carlton Cove and three children, Dr. Emily Kling of Auburn, Nancy Kling Shinbaum and husband, Richard, of Montgomery and City Councilman, Bill Kling, Jr. and wife, Tanjie, of Huntsville. His two grandchildren are Scott and Lesley Shinbaum of Montgomery. Contributions in Bill's memory may be made to the Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Ave., Montgomery, Alabama 36104; the Alabama 4H Center, 892 4H Road, Columbiana, Alabama 35051 or a favorite charity. A memorial service will be at 5:00 p.m. Sunday at Laughlin Service Funeral Home with visitation one hour before.