Dennis Paul Klein, 83, of West End, North Carolina, passed away surrounded by love and a lifetime of stories worth telling.
D. Paul was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and carried a deep curiosity about the world from an early age. That curiosity never dimmed. It only widened, branching into languages, history, science fiction, music, and an enduring love of wordplay that made every conversation a little brighter and usually funnier.
D. Paul was preceded in death by his brother, Ron, his sister, Mary Jo, and by his first wife, Anne, who passed away in June of this year. Though their marriage had ended years earlier, they remained friends, bound by shared history and mutual respect.
He is survived by his wife, Judy Klein, and his daughter, Christy Nicholas. Together, Judy and Christy shared a home with him in West End, North Carolina, where life was filled with music, laughter, spirited debates, and lots of science fiction. He had many wonderful friends throughout his lifetime, including Danai Lamb, who stayed by his side through many storms.
D. Paul only discovered that he had a daughter (Christy) when she found him 30 years later, and he embraced his new-found family. He then married Judith and he delighted in telling that story to anyone he met.
Music was one of his great joys. He seemed able to pick up almost any instrument and make it sing, including guitar, lute, tin whistle, and many others. He also sang, and it was through folk music that he met Judy in the 1960s, a harmony that lasted a lifetime. He loved classical music and Irish folk music, and his home was rarely quiet for long.
D. Paul loved language in all its forms. Etymology fascinated him. So did accents, grammar quirks, and clever turns of phrase. He delighted in puns, wordplay, and the small joy of a perfectly chosen word. He loved science fiction books and movies, especially Star Trek, which combined many of his favorite things: imagination, ethics, science, and hope. He traveled widely, including Star Trek cruises, and never lost his sense of wonder at new places, cultures, and ideas.
He was also an actor, a pilot, a locksmith, and a lifelong learner, always eager to try something new simply because it sounded interesting. He believed curiosity was a virtue and that fun and intelligence were not opposites, but companions.
D. Paul will be remembered for his sharp mind, generous spirit, musical talent, and the way he made people feel welcome in conversation. Life with him was never dull, often enlightening, and usually accompanied by a joke you would remember later and laugh at again.
His family invites those who knew and loved him to remember him with music, laughter, and a good story, preferably one with an excellent punchline.
For anyone who would like to send something in remembrance, in lieu of flowers, D. Paul would have appreciated a donation to The Sierra Club in his name.
D. Paul was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and carried a deep curiosity about the world from an early age. That curiosity never dimmed. It only widened, branching into languages, history, science fiction, music, and an enduring love of wordplay that made every conversation a little brighter and usually funnier.
D. Paul was preceded in death by his brother, Ron, his sister, Mary Jo, and by his first wife, Anne, who passed away in June of this year. Though their marriage had ended years earlier, they remained friends, bound by shared history and mutual respect.
He is survived by his wife, Judy Klein, and his daughter, Christy Nicholas. Together, Judy and Christy shared a home with him in West End, North Carolina, where life was filled with music, laughter, spirited debates, and lots of science fiction. He had many wonderful friends throughout his lifetime, including Danai Lamb, who stayed by his side through many storms.
D. Paul only discovered that he had a daughter (Christy) when she found him 30 years later, and he embraced his new-found family. He then married Judith and he delighted in telling that story to anyone he met.
Music was one of his great joys. He seemed able to pick up almost any instrument and make it sing, including guitar, lute, tin whistle, and many others. He also sang, and it was through folk music that he met Judy in the 1960s, a harmony that lasted a lifetime. He loved classical music and Irish folk music, and his home was rarely quiet for long.
D. Paul loved language in all its forms. Etymology fascinated him. So did accents, grammar quirks, and clever turns of phrase. He delighted in puns, wordplay, and the small joy of a perfectly chosen word. He loved science fiction books and movies, especially Star Trek, which combined many of his favorite things: imagination, ethics, science, and hope. He traveled widely, including Star Trek cruises, and never lost his sense of wonder at new places, cultures, and ideas.
He was also an actor, a pilot, a locksmith, and a lifelong learner, always eager to try something new simply because it sounded interesting. He believed curiosity was a virtue and that fun and intelligence were not opposites, but companions.
D. Paul will be remembered for his sharp mind, generous spirit, musical talent, and the way he made people feel welcome in conversation. Life with him was never dull, often enlightening, and usually accompanied by a joke you would remember later and laugh at again.
His family invites those who knew and loved him to remember him with music, laughter, and a good story, preferably one with an excellent punchline.
For anyone who would like to send something in remembrance, in lieu of flowers, D. Paul would have appreciated a donation to The Sierra Club in his name.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Dennis Paul Klein, please visit our flower store.
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