Marilyn May Klein

MARILYN MAY KLEIN
March 3, 1932 – July 14, 2024

Marilyn May Klein (nee Chamberlain), 92, of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan passed peacefully on Sunday, July 14, 2024, and was happily reunited in heaven with her husband of 60 years, Eugene L. Klein and son, Alan L. Klein.

Marilyn was born on March 3, 1932, to Franklin and Eleanor Chamberlain in Leon, Kansas. A late addition to the family, Sally as she was affectionately called, was born a mere two months before the arrival of her sister Fern’s daughter, Jacquie. “Aunt Sally” and Jacquie were raised as sisters and attended Wichita State University together where they both received bachelor’s degrees in business education in 1954. They were also members of the Delta Kappa Gamma sorority.

Shortly after her graduation from college, Marilyn and Gene were married on June 6, 1954. They began their life together in Dayton, Ohio where Gene was stationed as a Lieutenant at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. A stint with the Marquardt Corporation took them to Los Angeles, California, which is where their beloved children, Kelley and Alan, were born. Gene’s engineering career also led them to Ogden, Utah, and eventually to Bloomfield Hills in 1967 when Gene accepted an executive position with Williams Research, which became Williams International.

Marilyn was very involved in the Bloomfield Hills community. She served on the Board of the Bloomfield Hills Library, the Village Club, various committees at the Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church, and was a member of the local PEO Chapter. She enjoyed bridge, golf, tennis, knitting, needlepointing and quality time with family and friends. Marilyn and Gene enjoyed their retirement years with family and friends, spending Winter in Arizona and Spring-Fall in Michigan.

She was an early adopter of fitness and wellness, a woman of great style and flair. She was extremely generous with her family, engaging them in golf outings, bridge lessons, family travels and shopping sprees.  Her most recent joy was the birth of her great-grandson, Adrian Ponse.  It was a sight to behold watching her with him, and for all that she has given her family, we were blessed that he was born this year on February 27th, giving her almost 5 months of sheer joy and fascination.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Gene, son, Alan, and her five siblings.
She is survived by her daughter, Kelley, Kelley’s long-time companion, Greg Fedurek, daughter in law, Catherine, granddaughters, Lydia Ponse (Ryan) and Samantha, great-grandson, Adrian, and nieces and nephews.

A memorial service and celebration of her life will be held on Friday, August 16, 2024, at Kirk in the Hills, 1340 W. Long Lake Road at 11 am. Memorial tributes can be made to Kirk in the Hills (www.kirkinthehills.org) or the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (www.theaftd.org) in memory of Eugene and Alan Klein.