Donald August "Don" Klassen

Klassen, Donald "Don" August
81, a resident of Sun Lakes, Arizona for the last 20 years, passed away on September 17, 2016 after a brief and sudden illness. Don died peacefully in hospice, surrounded by the love and prayers of his wife, Virginia "Ginny" Klassen, and their four children, daughters Carol Reynolds, Nancy Wallace, and Donna Klassen, and son David. Don loved work his entire adult life, and had only recently sold his last business in a career spanning almost 60 years. He was a CPA at Coopers and Lybrand in New York, and eventual Chief Executive Officer at family-owned Perkins Trucking Company on Long Island. Don also started and managed his own business brokerage for over a decade at Klassen Associates in Rochester, NY (d/b/a Klassen Ingalls, to this day). Moving to Arizona, he began anew, this time as founder of CFO Financial Services, LLC, a tax and business advisory firm, for over two decades. Don was motivated by and steadfast in helping his clients succeed, and became a mentor and friend to many. Throughout his adult life, Don was also an active and devoted church member, passionate about financial stewardship, most recently at Sun Lakes Community Church. Don was born in Weehawken, NJ in 1934 and later moved to New Hyde Park, NY, with his sister Ruth and parents Mary and August. A graduate of Gettysburg College in the R.O.T.C. program, he served in the Navy in Charleston, SC, during the Korean War, after which he and Ginny moved back to Long Island. Above all else, Don loved his family and they loved him. He always provided advice and wisdom to his children and twelve grandchildren. As keeper of family history and stories, Don often conveyed the joys of life with cousins, uncles and aunts, parents Mary and Gus, and beloved sister, Ruth Dutot, of Long Island, NY, who survives him. Services for Don will be held at Sun Lakes Community Church on October 8th, 2016 at 3:00 PM, and again in December in Westchester, NY. Instead of flowers, the family wishes to honor the extraordinary work and care at Hospice of the Valley (Dobson Home), in Chandler, AZ, and requests that donations be made in Don's memory. https://www.hov.org.