Klaus H. Jander

1940 - 2025

Klaus H. Jander
7/8/2025
Klaus Heinrich Jander, 85, of Greenwich, Connecticut, passed away on July 8, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of distinguished military service, legal excellence, and international leadership.
Born on May 17, 1940, in Glogau, Germany, Klaus immigrated to the United States in 1953 as a displaced person. He graduated from Richmond Hill High School in Queens, NY, in 1959 as valedictorian, and he was awarded the New York State Teachers Prize in Chemistry. He earned a B.A. in Philosophy with a minor in Chemistry from the City University of New York (Queens College), graduating cum laude. He later received his Doctor of Laws degree from Cornell University Law School in 1964. Klaus also studied law at the University of the Saar in Germany and served on the Cornell Law School Advisory Council from 1995 until his passing. He was elected a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Klaus served with distinction in the United States Air Force, initially on active duty and later as an Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA). He held senior roles, including Senior Mobilization Augmentee to the Director of the Air Force Personnel Council at the Pentagon and at Headquarters 21st Air Force. He graduated from
Officer Candidate School, the Air Command and Staff College, and the Air War College. His military honors include the President's Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, and several other awards that showcase decades of dedicated service and leadership.
Klaus was a highly respected international lawyer. He was a partner at firms such as Alexander & Green, Rogers & Wells, and Clifford Chance, where he led the German and Central European Practice
Group and sat on the Executive and Regional Management Committees. He advised Fortune 500 companies and foreign governments on cross-border legal issues, mergers, acquisitions, and corporate governance. He co-authored two legal books and published over 25 articles in both English and German. He served as Official Counsel to the German Government at the United Nations, the Consulate General in New York, and the Embassy in Washington, D.C. He also served on numerous corporate boards and was Chairman of the Board of Schuetz-Werke GmbH & Co. KG aA, a leading German industrial packaging company. In addition to his professional and military achievements, Klaus remained actively engaged in civic affairs. He was a Life Member of the American Bar Foundation, served as a Director-at-Large for the Greenwich Retired Men's Association (2011–2014), and was a
Delegate to the Representative Town Meeting of Greenwich (2014–2017). He also served as an Alternate Member of the Inland Wetlands and Waterways Agency (2016–2025), contributing to local environmental oversight and planning. His long-standing dedication to public service was complemented by his commitment to mentoring and community leadership. Klaus was preceded in death by his beloved son, Dietrich Alexander Van Alst Jander. He is survived by his loving wife of nearly 60 years, Deborah Jander; his devoted daughter-in-law, Elfride Jakaj; two nieces, Elizabeth and Hildegard, along with Hildegard's husband, Dieter; nephew Wolfgang; and many other family members and friends. Klaus will be remembered as a brilliant legal mind, a decorated officer, a passionate advocate for justice, and a devoted husband, father, father-in-law, and uncle. His life was distinguished by a commitment to serving his country, clients, and community. He will also be dearly remembered for his sharp wit, warmth, and generosity of spirit, which touched the lives of everyone who knew him.
A visitation for Klaus will be held Sunday, July 20, 2025 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home, 31 Arch Street, Greenwich, CT 068306512. A funeral service will occur Monday, July 21, 2025 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 4 Riverside Ave., Greenwich, CT 06878. A committal service will occur Monday, July 21, 2025 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m., 399 North Street, Greenwich, CT 06830.