Elizabeth "Muggsy" Klein

Elizabeth "Muggsy" Klein

Elizabeth "Muggsy" Klein died on March 8, 2022. Muggsy was born in Detroit, Michigan on April Fool's Day, 1935 to Henry and Delia Meyers, who were community, philanthropic, religious and social leaders. Her mother died when Muggsy was 11, and her father died when she was a freshman at the University of Michigan. With the help of Joan, Muggsy's older sister, and many family members, Muggsy became self-reliant and independent.

She met her love, Dick, shortly after arriving at Michigan, on a blind date. They were happily married in 1955 and were loving partners for 66 years. She and Dick continued on to Columbus, Ohio for his Dental Education, where she graduated from the Ohio State University with a B.A. in Speech. After graduation, they moved back to Ottawa Hills where Dick had grown up and where he began his dental practice.

Muggsy and Dick had two children, Deborah and Dan. Muggsy was an influential member of her community, becoming active in multiple philanthropic groups as well as various Ottawa Hills parents' support groups. She was a co-chair of the joint National Council of Jewish Women/Junior League of Toledo's First Annual Book Mart at Westgate as well as serving in leadership posts with the Jewish Federation of Toledo.

Muggsy was an extremely competitive athlete, enjoying all types of sports, but particularly golf, at which she was very accomplished. She served as President of the Toledo Women's District Golf Association, as well as winning various club championships at Glengarry Country Club and Inverness Club. She was a fierce competitor on the golf course and worked on her game intensely. She was happy to see that her children and granddaughters also followed her passions of athletics and physical activity. She was totally involved in, and proud of, Deborah's tennis career in high school and college, as well as Dan's success in his high school and college golf teams.

From their nursery schools through high schools, she never missed her four granddaughters' participation in soccer, gymnastics, track, cross country, swim meets, basketball, lacrosse, golf tournaments, performances, awards ceremonies, presentations, and concerts. She loved being "on call" for baby- sitting, school delays and car pools.

She also maintained lifelong friendships from her camp days, her college days and had a group of dearly loved friends who met as young couples and continued to spend treasured time together over the last 60+ years. In addition to her husband Dick, their close Toledo friends were a constant in Muggsy's life.

Muggsy loved being outside and she especially loved flowers. She discovered a passion for fresh flowers in the home from Dottie Mindel and passed that on to other members of her family.

She is survived by her husband, Dr. Richard Mindel Klein; daughter, Deborah Ellen Klein, of Washington, D.C.; son, Daniel Meyers Klein (Robin), of Charleston, S.C.; granddaughters, Alexandra, Madeline, Katerina, and Katya Klein; sister, Joan Jampel; sister-in-law, Linda Klein; and brother-in-law and sister-in-law, James and Heide Klein; and her loving nieces and nephews and their spouses.

Services will be held on Friday March 11, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. at the Temple Shomer Emunim 6453 W. Sylvania Ave. Sylvania, Ohio. Interment will follow at Historic Woodlawn Cemetery.

Contributions may be made to the Henry and Delia Meyers Library (go to www.jccdet.org and follow to the library), Detroit Jewish Community Center, or to the charity of the donor's choice. Arrangements by the Robert H. Wick/Wisniewski Funeral Home (419) 535.5840.

www.wickfh.com