Richard L. Kleinhenz

1952 - 2018

Richard L. Kleinhenz

Wappingers Falls - Richard Kleinhenz passed away June 20, 2018 at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, following an intense five-year struggle with multiple myeloma. My husband of 41 years was extraordinary in so many ways. He was born in Germany, educated there and at Atlantic College in Wales, and originally came to the U.S. to study for one year while working towards a graduate degree in mathematics in Germany. After receiving his doctorate from SUNY Albany in physics, we moved to Dutchess County and IBM hired him on in East Fishkill to work on silicone wafer design. Rich received many patents for his inventions along the way.

Rich was an avid and skilled photographer and bicyclist. He enjoyed building his own wheels and bikes and repairing others, and he even rode 200 miles in a single day to complete a double century club ride in Albany. He also enjoyed playing the guitar, the flute, and singing. We enjoyed hiking and camping, and we sewed our own sleeping bags, tent, and parkas. Later, his hobbies turned toward making wooden objects, starting with creating a beautiful birch-strip canoe, and progressing to an interest in pen making, which he enjoyed for many years. Asked to author a book on the subject, The Penturner's Bible was the result. Most recently, he'd gotten very involved with building and flying radio-controlled aircraft with a pair of local flying clubs, which has given him immense satisfaction. Finally, he accomplished his goals of travel to South America and also one last trip together with his family, a tour in Iceland, from which we returned only last week.

My brilliant, creative, talented, and loving husband is survived by his six siblings in Germany, his wife Linda at home, and our son Robby in Tokyo. To honor his memory, please direct any donations to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center or the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.