George Martin Klein, 103, of Roseland, New Jersey, passed away peacefully onApril 6, 2023. He lived a very happy and fulfilling life. He was a son, brother, husband, father, uncle, grandfather, friend, coach and mentor.
George was born in Newark, New Jersey, on February 11, 1920, and was one of ten children of Martin and Theresa (Schmidt) Klein. He graduated from West Side High School and was active in sports and in the drama club. He excelled as “Hector” in the production “Collegiate.”
After high school, he worked at the Edison Laboratories in West Orange in a quality control position and served as union representative for the company. After World War II broke out, he enlisted in the Navy and was stationed on the Pacific coast as an aviation electrician. He served on several aircraft carriers. He left the Navy when the war ended as a Petty Officer 2nd class.
After the war, George married Doris Estelle Smith on April 26, 1947 in Newark. They both were avid horseback riders. They resided in Clifton, New Jersey until they moved to Livingston in 1954. George joined New Jersey Bell in 1946 and worked as an apparatus technician until he retired in 1982 after 37 years. He moved to Roseland in 2002.
George and Doris have three sons: Kenneth, Robert, and William. George was a very active parent and was involved in almost all of his sons’ sports and extracurricular activities.
After his retirement, George became active in a number of clubs including the Livingston Old Guard (which he loved) and the Livingston AARP, and sang with the town chorus. He and Doris also volunteered at St. Barnabas Hospital. He was also active in running many senior trips.
But his greatest contribution was his ability to make people laugh with a variety of jokes and “true stories.” In retirement, he became somewhat of an amateur comedian, doing standup routines whenever anyone would listen…and delighting most audiences. He was a kind and gentle man, and had compassion for all people. He loved being with and talking to people. Mostly, he was very “special.”
George was preceded by his wife Doris, who passed away in 2001. He is survived by his three sons, Kenneth and his wife Pamela; Robert and William Klein; his niece Linda Nikolayuk and her husband Phil; and four grandchildren, Daniel Klein, Melissa Contino, Shaina Preis and Erica Vanni. He has four great grandchildren.
A funeral Mass will be held at St. Philomena’s Church in Livingston at 10 a.m. on Friday April 14, with entombment to follow at Restland Memorial Park in East Hanover. A viewing will be at the Shook-Farmer Funeral Home, 45 Roseland Avenue, Roseland, NJ 07068, shookfarmer.com, on Thursday April 13, between 3 and 6 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter.
