Obituary for Elizabeth Klein
The Klein family is greatly saddened and joyous regarding the passing of our mother, Betty Klein, on January 12th. We are sad to say goodbye to our wonderful mother at age 87 following a long battle with Alzheimer’s. We feel joy knowing that our beloved mother is now with our father, her soul mate, Bob Klein, in heaven. Betty was a remarkable person and the true foundation of our family teaching us about truth, love and faith. She raised her four children instilling excellent values focused on honesty, compassion, empathy, self-worth, independence, communication, and the power of prayer. A common theme from our mom was to speak up and let people know what you think and feel. She would often say “I’m not afraid to tell it like it is” or "the squeaky wheel gets the oil".
Although Betty was outgoing and enjoyed socializing with family and friends, she did not talk much about herself. There are many fun facts that most people do not know about her. She was a top student, quite bright and was quickly hired by the FBI right out of high school. One of her pleasures was conquering the daily crossword puzzle which also lead her to be great at most TV trivia shows. She also was an avid romance novel reader.
Betty’s love story with our father began on a river where both of our grandparents owned summer cabins. After watching Betty for what seem like an eternity, Bob got the courage to ask "which way is the river" when it was literally about 30 feet away. This lead to a true decades long love story with a lot of laughter. To make their relationship official, they carved their initials in a tree near their cabins. Our parents embraced the saying of Live, Love and Laugh essentially providing a MasterClass on how to have a great marriage that literally lasts a lifetime. We are quite confident our mom was greeted at the Pearly Gates by our dad with a big smile on his face so he could ask her “Hey, which way is Heaven?”
Like all families, there were troubled times as well. When their oldest child was 8, he had a tragic bicycle accident resulting in a severe concussion and bleeding from his ear on the opposite side of the concussion for 10 straight days. The doctors were completely baffled and planned to do very risky 1960’s brain surgery if it did not stop. Betty went into her church on a cloudy morning and came out with sky opening up and sunshine breaking through. She knew in her heart her prayers were answered with only a few hours to spare and the surgery was called off. This was a true miracle to our family.
Betty lead an active life especially in retirement where they were on vacation practically every day either on a cruise, sipping a fancy drink in Maui or walking on the beaches of Brigantine, NJ. They lived their retirement days as if every day was their last and thoroughly enjoyed their mutual love for each other, family and friends. They retired close to Atlantic city where they could see frequent shows and concerts including several with Frank Sinatra where my mom was seen more than once holding his hand during his concerts. They also played very competitive Bocci in their retirement community often seen practicing for any upcoming matches. We are so proud of our parents for truly enjoying life to the fullest and accomplishing so much as partners.
Thank you John, our incredible brother, for taking an honorable, long pause in his life to do the right thing and provide around-the-clock care for our mother for the past eight years. It takes a tremendous amount of patience and compassion to care for elderly people especially when one has Alzheimer’s for the past 15 years. John had her healthcare polished to perfection. Doctors suggested putting her in hospice care many years ago, yet with his loving diligence and unfettered love, our mother lived many more years. His dedication and caring is yet another example of the solid upbringing from our mother. On her last day, John took the time to show her many family pictures and read from a novel and the bible. John was holding her hand as she passed from this world to heaven to join our father and God.
Our Mom told us often, as our paternal grandmother had said, "you are perfect in every way." We miss you mom greatly, but know you will always be in our heart, mind and soul forever. The four of us are so grateful for all she has done to provide us so much that we cherish in life. You will be missed by grandchildren, great grandchild and great great grandchildren. You made us who we are and gave us the values, guidance, intelligence and moral backbone to navigate our lives. You are absolutely the "Best Mom Ever". We Love You Mom!
John 8:32 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center on Brigantine Island that our mom supported and cared for.
https://mmsc.org/contact-us
Although Betty was outgoing and enjoyed socializing with family and friends, she did not talk much about herself. There are many fun facts that most people do not know about her. She was a top student, quite bright and was quickly hired by the FBI right out of high school. One of her pleasures was conquering the daily crossword puzzle which also lead her to be great at most TV trivia shows. She also was an avid romance novel reader.
Betty’s love story with our father began on a river where both of our grandparents owned summer cabins. After watching Betty for what seem like an eternity, Bob got the courage to ask "which way is the river" when it was literally about 30 feet away. This lead to a true decades long love story with a lot of laughter. To make their relationship official, they carved their initials in a tree near their cabins. Our parents embraced the saying of Live, Love and Laugh essentially providing a MasterClass on how to have a great marriage that literally lasts a lifetime. We are quite confident our mom was greeted at the Pearly Gates by our dad with a big smile on his face so he could ask her “Hey, which way is Heaven?”
Like all families, there were troubled times as well. When their oldest child was 8, he had a tragic bicycle accident resulting in a severe concussion and bleeding from his ear on the opposite side of the concussion for 10 straight days. The doctors were completely baffled and planned to do very risky 1960’s brain surgery if it did not stop. Betty went into her church on a cloudy morning and came out with sky opening up and sunshine breaking through. She knew in her heart her prayers were answered with only a few hours to spare and the surgery was called off. This was a true miracle to our family.
Betty lead an active life especially in retirement where they were on vacation practically every day either on a cruise, sipping a fancy drink in Maui or walking on the beaches of Brigantine, NJ. They lived their retirement days as if every day was their last and thoroughly enjoyed their mutual love for each other, family and friends. They retired close to Atlantic city where they could see frequent shows and concerts including several with Frank Sinatra where my mom was seen more than once holding his hand during his concerts. They also played very competitive Bocci in their retirement community often seen practicing for any upcoming matches. We are so proud of our parents for truly enjoying life to the fullest and accomplishing so much as partners.
Thank you John, our incredible brother, for taking an honorable, long pause in his life to do the right thing and provide around-the-clock care for our mother for the past eight years. It takes a tremendous amount of patience and compassion to care for elderly people especially when one has Alzheimer’s for the past 15 years. John had her healthcare polished to perfection. Doctors suggested putting her in hospice care many years ago, yet with his loving diligence and unfettered love, our mother lived many more years. His dedication and caring is yet another example of the solid upbringing from our mother. On her last day, John took the time to show her many family pictures and read from a novel and the bible. John was holding her hand as she passed from this world to heaven to join our father and God.
Our Mom told us often, as our paternal grandmother had said, "you are perfect in every way." We miss you mom greatly, but know you will always be in our heart, mind and soul forever. The four of us are so grateful for all she has done to provide us so much that we cherish in life. You will be missed by grandchildren, great grandchild and great great grandchildren. You made us who we are and gave us the values, guidance, intelligence and moral backbone to navigate our lives. You are absolutely the "Best Mom Ever". We Love You Mom!
John 8:32 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center on Brigantine Island that our mom supported and cared for.
https://mmsc.org/contact-us