Charles Klem, Jr.

South Hadley - Charles Klem, Jr. of South Hadley died on October 26, 2017, at the Elaine Center of Hadley.  At age 83, he succumbed to a year-long battle with cancer.

Born on June 10, 1934, he was the son of Charles and Grace (Neubauer) Klem of Mountain Lakes, NJ.  Charlie attended Mountain Lakes schools and was a 1956 graduate of Amherst College.  In 1957, he completed Officer Training School in Newport, R.I., and spent the following three years in the U.S. Navy on board the destroyer U.S.S. Henderson.  His peacetime service took him to many locations in the Pacific area, which he was to find great joy in revisiting during his retirement years.  In 1962, Charlie earned an MBA at Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College and pursued a business career starting with the Boston office of Price Waterhouse and Co.  As a graduate student seeking summer employment in Boston, he met Sheila Fitzsimmons on St. Patrick’s Day in 1961.  The Luck of the Irish prevailed, and they recently celebrated 55 years of marriage on September 1.  His career took his young family to Puerto Rico in the early 1970’s, where he was the financial head of a team establishing a Bristol Laboratories plant on the island.  Back on the mainland, he subsequently left the division headquarters in Syracuse, N.Y.  to return to New England and a series of financial officer responsibilities in the Hartford, CT. area.  The Klems, with their children Pamela and Timothy, settled in Canton, CT. where Charlie served as Chairman of the Board of Finance and Sheila was an educator in the public schools.  After his retirement, Charlie and Sheila moved to their perfect “house on the hill” in Amherst on Plumtrees Rd.  Charlie continued his active involvement with Amherst College Alumni matters and began a dedicated service as site supervisor for several Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity projects, in Northampton, Amherst, and various locations in Franklin County.   They both have been longstanding and engaged members of the Five College Learning in Retirement community, for which Charlie served a term as Treasurer and through which he made many dear friends.

Charlie leaves his wife Sheila of Loomis Village in South Hadley, his daughter Pamela Klem and son-in-law Thomas Dubin of Wilton, Ct.  and grandchildren Emma Dubin, Jonah Dubin, and Stella Dubin.  He also leaves his son Timothy Klem and daughter-in-law Lynda Klem and grandchildren Caesar Sandt, Hadrian Sandt, and Sarah Klem of Chappaqua, N.Y.  His brother John Klem and sister-in-law Elinor live in Armonk, N.Y.

Charlie’s family will be scheduling a celebration of his life at a date to be determined.  Thanks go to Elaine Center of Hadley, Cooley Dickinson VNA, and Hospice of Fisher Home for making his final days peaceful.  Contributions in his memory can be made to the Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity, the Hispanic Federation/Unidos fund for hurricane relief in Puerto Rico, or to the Five College Learning in Retirement.

New England Funeral & Cremation Center, LLC, 25 Mill Street, Springfield, MA is assisting the family. www.nefcc.net