Jack Carl Kleberg

During the early morning hours of Saturday February 21, 2026 Jack Carl Kleberg passed on to his eternal home. He was born on July 22, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois and was the cherished husband and father who filled our lives with warmth, laughter and unwavering support. The sun rose and we could almost hear, "Well done good and faithful servant. You have completed your race on earth with grace, resilience and integrity". Dad was always an early riser and ready to greet a new day.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 73 years Bonnie Seidel Kleberg; his children, Bonnie Beth Jackson (Greg), Wendy Singer (Terry), Craig Kleberg and Jackie Witmer Laverdiere (Derek); his grandchildren, Mary Orlando (Jason), Eric Jackson, Craig Singer (Kelsey Condit), Steve Singer (Calla Wang), Justin Kleberg (Greta), Matthew Kleberg and Jacob Witmer. He was also blessed to have precious great grandchildren; Annabelle Orlando, Madelyn Orlando, Carina Orlando, Brody Condit, Leona Singer, Wyatt Kleberg and baby Kleberg who's to be born in the Spring of 2026.
He was preceded in death by his sister Joanne McCarthy, son-in-law Brian Witmer and great granddaughter Kaylie E Jackson. Dad was deeply loved by them.
Today is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 If Jack Kleberg inhabited a verse , this would be the one. He was an eternal optimist who possessed a playful almost childlike spirit, loved to make us smile BIG, laugh out loud and of course, dance. He was a man of great intellectual curiosity, loved the Military, all things History, Languages, other cultures, and cruising the world with our Mom. His voracious love of learning was challenged as he tackled about every hobby known to man - learning to play the Bagpipes in order to get a Scholarship into Northwestern Military Academy, catching butterflies, Bonsai, oil painting, tying flies for fishing excursions, making garlicy pickles, beef jerky and most definitely his famous Smoked Salmon. He was a muti-faceted man who used all of his gifts and talents to the nth degree and once he mastered all of the nuances wanted to instruct and teach us as well.
Our Dad was a natural athlete who was the Gymnastics Team Captain at West Point Military Academy in the 1950's specializing in the Flying Rings and was even known to have walked down the street on his hands for the neighborhood kids. His favorite sports were Fishing and Golf with horseshoes, tennis & cross country skiing thrown in for good measure. Jack Kleberg was undaunted when it came to trying anything new and strove for excellence in everything he put his hands to.
He loved nature and God's creation with a passion and I believe that all of us have derived our massive love of the outdoors from him. His Wildflower and Shade gardens were the perfect spot for nature hikes with grandchildren and for learning the names of plants, trees and flowers along with the birds that nested in the magical place that he nurtured. Life was an adventure to be enjoyed and above all to be shared ie: plant cuttings and collecting seeds.
Dad lived his life with great gusto and had a desire to leave a legacy of service and volunteering plus he freely shared his boyhood stories as well as his experiences during The Depression and in the military. But Dad most importantly modeled to us the sharing of a kind word to a stranger, finding commonality with others and just plain Showing up, resilience under pressure, persevering when times got tough and being kind Always.
We miss him terribly but we're very grateful for the 95 years that he was granted on this earth to love and cherish our Mom, Bonnie Kleberg, as well as his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He is and will be forever imprinted on our hearts and in our minds.

A Private Family Memorial Service is being planned in Early April in Fox Chapel, PA.

In lieu of Flowers, memorial donations may be sent to
Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania
614 Dorseyville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15238

Donations are also accepted online at www.aswp.org