Jerome “Jerry” Klein, 90

July 13, 1934 - December 04, 2024

Friends called him Jerry… his three sons called him “Dad”, and throughout his professional career some called him Dr. Klein. There may have even been one or two off-color monikers thrown his way, but most of us can say the same as we cannot please everyone all the time!

Dad was born in the Bronx, New York on July 13, 1934. He was a first generation American and grew up in the very modest surroundings of the South Bronx. His parents Silard and Evelyn were of eastern European descent and were working class people of humble means. Silard Klein, his father, was an apartment building superintendent in the building Dad grew up in on Prospect Avenue in the Bronx. An indication of what was to come for Dad came from his father whose imagination and creativity manifested in several technical patents as a self-made inventor. Dad obviously inherited his father’s creativity.

A product of the New York City school system and an undergraduate of the City University of New York, Dad went on to ultimately obtain his PhD in Psychology. Most of his life was dedicated to helping those in need as a Clinical Psychologist for the State of Massachusetts at the Harry S. Solomon Mental Health Clinic in Lowell Massachusetts. Dad also maintained a Private Therapy Practice in the New England area helping many to make sense of their lives.

My fond memories of Dad include amazement, for he was a man of many talents and packed a lot of living into his life. As an avid at home chef with a taste for the exotic and spicy, he exposed my young palette to many dishes that are still favorites of mine. These included a mean Chile con carne, a fantastic hummus and my all-time favorite breakfast, Eggs in Hell.

Dad was also an accomplished musician playing Classical Guitar, Saxophone, Clarinet, Harmonica and even the “Jews Harp.” He could belt out a song in a clear and powerful singing voice too! As I got older, we spent many evenings waxing philosophically on various topics including Eastern Philosophies, Metaphysics, even dabbling or should I say struggling with Quantum and Simulation Theories. Dad was also very creative, and his artistic endeavors included writing original stories, hand sketching and Origami. I have five of his collages framed and hanging in my living room and just glanced over at them fondly as I write this. These can be seen in the background of the last photo.

Jerry Klein is survived by his partner of 57 years, his lovely wife Charlotte Woodward, two of his three sons, Steven the oldest, David (me) and his grandson Alex. A quick shout-out to our younger brother Robert who passed away much too young in 2016.

Jerry Klein loved life and pursued it with vim and vigor. He marched to the beat of his own drum and filled the lives of those around him with a wide array of invaluable and cherished moments in his 90 years on Earth!

He will be sorely missed…