Victor L. Klee

Professor Victor L. KLEE The day after Dad died, a sister and I said to each other "We were so lucky!" We were. He was an extraordinary father. Many people who knew Victor L. Klee felt fortunate to know him. He was brilliant, modest, and amusing with a warm, gentle voice, and a luminous smile. Dad valued hard work, thrift, humor and knowledge. Injustice disturbed him. Valedictorian of his high school class, he gave his award to the other candidate who was interned with her family during WWII for being Japanese. He helped colleagues who suffered under communist governments in Hungary and Czechoslovakia, and supported Amnesty International. Born in San Francisco, September 18, 1925, he had a happy childhood in Los Altos, CA. In 1945 he graduated with high honors from Pomona College, married Elizabeth "Bitsy" and began studies at the University of Virginia, from which he received his Ph.D. in Mathematics in 1949. In 1953 he drove across the country with his wife and three young daughters to accept a position at the University of Washington. Professor Victor L. Klee became widely known and respected as a mathematician, making significant contributions in his fields of study, nurturing 36 Ph.D. students and receiving honorary doctorates from the University of Liege, Belgium, University of Trier, Germany, and Pomona College. He served as president of the Mathematical Association of America, wrote over 200 research papers and books and lectured worldwide. His work took him to much of Europe and the United States, Canada, the Middle East, China and Australia. He retired from the University of Washington in 2001. Dad loved reading and was interested in origins of words and phrases. He was fascinated by insects and delighted in strange foods. He had a rich life of the mind and took great joy in his friends and family. His loving wife, Jodey was at his side when he died August 18th after intestinal surgery. Survivors include his wife of 22 years, Joann "Jodey", daughters, Barbara "Babs", Lisette, and Heidi Klee, Sons in-law, Paul Wehrenberg and Ralph Pease, grandchildren, Eric and Kirsten Wehrenberg-Klee, first wife, Bitsy Klee, sister, Barbara Clark, and brother, Stephen Klee. His daughter, Dr. Wendy Klee died in 2001. A Memorial Service will be held 2:00 p.m., Sunday, September 23rd at University Unitarian Church, 6556 35th ave NE, Seattle. No donations or flowers please.