Esther K. Klein Elfenbein

Esther is predeceased by her parents, Benjamin and Celia; her brother, Albert; her husband, Josef; and daughters, Jill Libbie and Sara Louise.

She is survived by her children, Seth, Adam and Lisa; her grandsons Ezra (Sonja) Reis; Efrem (Lauren) Reis and Ari Reis, and great-grandchildren Jonas, Elise, Silas, Noah, Gabriel, Ella and Leba. She is also survived by her nieces, Becky Klein and Judy Klein as well as many other much loved family and friends.

Esther was born December 22, 1925 in Denver, Colorado. A lover of art from an early age, Esther studied art and costume design, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Iowa (and remained a life-long fan of Hawkeye football and basketball). At Iowa she met her future husband, Josef. She then obtained a Master of Arts degree from Denver University.

Upon completion of her Master’s degree, Esther joined the teaching staff of the Speech and Drama Department at Stanford University. Upon wedding Josef on September 3, 1950, the couple settled in Oneonta, New York, with Josef teaching Speech and Theatre, and Esther often providing costume design and construction, at what became the State University of New York at Oneonta.

Later Esther became a highly regarded instructor of Speech, Costume Design and Construction, Stage Makeup and other courses at the college, finally retiring at the age of 80. She also served as the costumer for several seasons of the Glimmerglass Opera.

In November 1993 Esther’s passion for teaching won her the respected Esther Hubbard Whitaker Award which recognizes outstanding dedication to students within and outside of the classroom. She also for a number of years taught, and was principal of, the Sunday School at Temple Beth El.

Friends may visit from 12:30pm to 1pm on Thursday, August 6, 2015 at the Bookhout Funeral Home, 357 Main Street, Oneonta. Services will begin at 1pm at the funeral home, with a brief graveside ceremony for family to follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations made be made in Esther's memory to the College at Oneonta Foundation in the name of her late husband, Josef, and mailed to the Office of College Advancement, 308 Netzer Administration Building, SUNY Oneonta, Oneonta, NY 13820; or to Temple Beth El, 83 Chestnut Street, Oneonta, NY 13820 in memory of her beloved daughters, Jill and Sara.