Leonard ”Len” Klein , 92, passed away on November, 18, 2020 in Somerville, New Jersey. He was born and raised in Newark, NJ to the late Jack and Belle (Rachimov) Klein. Leonard was the devoted and loving husband of Corynne ”Cooky” Zises Klein for 68 years. He was also an attentive and supportive father, engaged in the lives and activities of his four children and serving as a role model to them all.
Len graduated from West Side High School in Newark where he played baseball, ran track and swam. He graduated Hobart College and Montclair State Teacher’s College where he received a Masters in Education. He also served in the Army at Fort Dix during the Korean War. Len worked over 40 years as a teacher. He spent most of them as a high school science teacher at Commack North. He was beloved by his students, who were all known to him as “Bruce”, and who years later could still recall how he turned science into an entertaining subject.
The Long Island theater community also appreciated Len’s talent for entertaining. He appeared in countless musicals and plays for various theater groups, working primarily at Star Playhouse in Commack and Synergy Theater in Deer Park. He continued in theater until his last leading role at age 90 in New Jersey.
In addition to his wife Cooky and his sister Rhoda, Len is survived by his four children: Ronni Lederman (Mark) of Martinsville, NJ, Randy Klein (Cindy) of Annandale, NJ, Shelley Klein (Cathy) of Bethesda, MD, and Stacye Nekritz (Stuart) of Stamford, CT, as well as 10 grandchildren, 5 grandchildren-in-law, and 2 great-grandchildren.
Funeral Services will take place graveside 1 PM (TODAY) November 20, 2020 at Mount Lebanon Cemetery, Queens. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his memory to Donors Choose, a non-profit that supports teachers in classrooms.
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