Christian and Carla Kling

1953 - 2023

Christian and Carla Kling
February 13, 1953 - August 25, 2023; September 26, 1954 - August 15, 2023
"Where one went, the other was usually close behind, in life and in death." Last month, Christian and Carla Kling lost their battles with cancer. Carla passed away peacefully in her sleep with her children and husband present on August 15th. Chris followed Carla shortly after, passing in his sleep at Connecticut Hospice with his daughter present, just ten days later. Chris and Carla met almost 50 years ago, and were inseparable ever since. They lived and worked together for most of their lives, first with horses, and later with windows, carpentry, and reuse materials.
Chris and Carla were the owners and operators of Window Master Real Wood and New England Reuse, two synergistic small businesses first based in Branford, and later in North Haven, CT. Chris was a true craftsman and passionate about building a circular economy of construction and deconstruction. Carla was forever the voice grounding him to reality, and making all of his work possible behind the scenes while they raised two strong-willed and passionate children.
They are survived by their two children, Christina and Matthew Kling, and by Chris's sister, Cindy. They are predeceased by Chris's parents, Albert and Amelia Kling, and his siblings Patricia, Pauline, and Michael; and by Carla's parents John W and Ethel Damm, and by her siblings Erna and John A Damm.
Chris's legacy as a craftsperson will be continued by Donna Best, a dear family friend who learned the trade from him. His children are continuing to manage the day to day aspects of the businesses, but plan to shepherd the materials he so devotedly kept out of dumpsters and landfills to new owners, vendors, and contractors to see through Chris's dream of seeing them reused in new projects.
To celebrate their lives and the impact they have had on the community, Christina and Matthew are hosting a celebration of life at the "shop" where they grew up and watched their parents work for decades. This will take place on Saturday, September 16th, from 2-6 PM at 400 Sackett Point Rd, North Haven, CT. Friends, associates, and customers who have known Chris and Carla over the years are welcome to drop by and honor their memory. Please feel free to bring a dish for this potluck-style event.