Donald Klein

Donald J. Klein, 91, died Saturday, November 13, 2021. He was born November 30, 1929.

Beloved husband of 61 years of the late Rosemary Rodgers Klein. Loving father of Thomas (Octavia), Mary (Joseph Sr.) Joyce, Margaret (Dr. James) Misak, John (Julie), Patricia (the late Javier) Blanco, Rosemary (Scott) Young, James (Margaret), Edward (Kate), Catherine (Anthony) Baracco and the late Joseph (late Kathleen) and Theresa; proud grandfather of Lisa, Zoa, J. Michael, Patrick, Kelly, Jack, Elizabeth, Nora, Kathleen, Anne, Paul, Jennifer, Michael, Taylor, Joseph, Jordan, Emily, Noah, Sayer, Neva, Max, Sadie, Peter, Molly and the late Justin; proud great grandfather of Joseph, Broin, Mikey, Maizy, Amelia, Mary Claire, Charlotte, Aidan, Devlin and Evran. Dear brother-in-law of Mary Jo (the late Joseph) Rodgers, Madonna (the late Jack Rodgers) McCutcheon, Molly (the late Bernard Rodgers) Weber, and the late Felix (Betty) Rodgers. Son of Roy and Barbara (Christ), deceased.
Don was born and raised in Chicago and Skokie and attended St. George High School, Evanston, where he played football with his lifelong friend and business partner Dan Stubing (Ann). He went on to play at Loras College where his 1947 team was inducted into Loras’ Football Hall of Fame. Don enlisted in the Marines near the end of the Korean War and was trained in radar operations, but he spent much of his time stateside playing for the Marine football team, the Treasure Island Pirates, there being more radar operators than radars. He finished his service at Cherry Point, NC, working on flight maintenance.

After the service, Don joined his family’s business, helping it grow from the pet supply store and company he grew up in (making birdcage gravel paper by hand as a kid) to a multi-service packaging company, Interserve Packaging. He married the love of his life, Rosemary Rodgers, in 1953, and raised 11 children, spending 45 years in Arlington Heights. Long-time members of Our Lady of the Wayside Parish, Don and Rosemary were active in every aspect of church life and their children’s lives, from Scouts to theater, trips to the library to college trips. They retired to The Oaks at Bartlett in 2008.

Memorial gathering 10:30 a.m. until Mass of Christian Burial 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 4, 2021, at St Peter Damian Catholic Church, 131 Crest Ave, Bartlett. Face masks are required for everyone over 2 years.

Memorial donations may be made to a charity of your choice or to H.O.M.E., Housing Opportunities & Maintenance for the Elderly, https://homeseniors.org/. Don and Rosemary volunteered there for many years, delivering meals to homebound seniors.