Carol Espie Kleckner

Kleckner, Carol Espie, 91, of New York City, died peacefully at home on April 26, 2024. Carol was born in Philadelphia in 1932, the oldest of four children of David and Carolyn (Jordan) Espie. David Espie worked for Barbizon Corporation, opening textile mills for the company's famous lingerie line, resulting in frequent moves to new mill towns for the young family. It was in one of these moves to Reading, PA, when Carol was in the fifth grade, that she first met her classmate and future spouse, Robert G. Kleckner, Jr. They would meet again in high school in 1949, and in a chance encounter dinner party in New Haven, CT, in 1954. A cum laude graduate of Smith College, Class of 1954, with a B.A. in Art History, Carol married Bob Kleckner in June 1955, on the eve of the young groom's deployment to post-war Korea. Undaunted by this separation from her husband, Carol found a way to a job in Tokyo, and from there to Seoul, where her husband had been transferred.

Following her time in Korea, Carol returned to Philadelphia, where Bob began law school at the University of Pennsylvania and Carol wrote for the Culture desk of The Philadelphia Inquirer. From 1957 - 1959, her articles covered local art fairs, major museum installations, trends in Philadelphia's art scene, and opportunities for aspiring artists. By 1964, the couple had moved with their young son to New York City, where she lived until her death.

In addition to raising two children, Carol volunteered for The Junior League of New York City, The Chapin School, and for The Ladies Christian Union. She is survived by her two sisters, her children , Anthony (Tania) Kleckner, and Susan (Jonathan) Goldstein, as well as four grandsons, Connor, Finn, David and Charlie.