Monte Klein

1937 - 2025

Monte Klein
07/02/1937 - 12/24/2025
Monte William Klein, 88, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on December 24, 2025. Born in St. Louis to Ann and William Klein, he grew up in Festus, Missouri where his father, a pharmacist, owned a drugstore. His mother balanced helping to run the business with raising their family which included Monte's older brother Stan.
Monte attended local public schools and later Culver Military Academy (Class of 1955), an experience he credited with instilling lifelong self-discipline and confidence. Thanks to the mentorship of his mathematics teacher Col. Homer Obenauf, Monte realized he had the ability to work with numbers and successfully did so during his entire career. He graduated from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri in 1959.
After college, military service, and early work in St. Louis, Monte moved to California drawn by the ocean and encouraged by friends already living in San Francisco. He began his career in Palo Alto as a residential mortgage agent with Mason McDuffie, later transitioning into commercial lending. In 1975, he founded Monte Klein Company, Inc., working independently as a mortgage broker for 30 years, with his wife Jan serving as his bookkeeper.
Monte and Jan met on a blind date and married in 1964. In fact, Monte passed away just days shy of their 61st wedding anniversary. They settled in the Bay Area, raised their daughters, Ann and Mara, and shared a life filled with travel, home projects, and dogs. They traveled often, including repeated trips to Italy where they traveled and saw friends, spent a week during many summers at Drakesbad Guest Ranch near Mt. Lassen, and an annual birthday trip to Carmel which included walking Carmel Beach. Working from home allowed Monte to pursue his many interests including cooking, opera (especially Puccini), photography, metal sculpture made from found objects, and following the San Francisco Giants.
Grateful for the opportunities he had, Monte and Jan established scholarships at both Culver Academy and Westminster College. In 2011, they created an annual award at Culver honoring Col. Obenauf by recognizing one math teacher every year whose teaching most reflects Col.Obenauf's dedication and generosity.
Monte faced significant health challenges throughout his life, including kidney, heart, and lung disease, meeting them with resilience and discipline. Dialysis sustained him during his final five years.
He is survived by his wife Jan, daughters Mara Klein and Ann Schilling (Rob), and grandchildren Jordan, Natalie, and Adam Schilling. He took great pride in his family. He left behind a home filled with his black-and-white photographs and a yard dotted with his metal sculptures.
Donations in Monte's memory may be made to KQED, American Civil Liberties Union, Southern Poverty Leadership Council or a charity of one's choice.