Michael Paul Klein

Michael Paul “Genghis” Klein, aged 60 and a shade, died on February 25th 2014 at Rex Hospital in Raleigh, NC. He was born in the borough of Manhattan to Oscar and Susan Klein, and grew up in Fargo, ND (no relation to the Coen Brothers movie, where everyone talks like they’re from Brainerd, MN). He graduated from Fargo South (spare me) High in 1972, attended NDSU and the UND School of Nursing (which he left a quarter shy of graduation, when he realized that he hadn’t the right temperament to be a nurse). He was named for an archangel, and on Singles Awareness Day in 1993 he married a woman named for one of the most destructive hurricanes in history. The marriage was sometimes stormy and often dramatic, as only a union between a force of heaven and a force of nature can be, but Michael and Camille loved each other a great deal and fought side by side against everything that the Universe could throw at them, until he was finally felled by a heart attack after 21 years and 11 days.

Michael was a grognard who loved his games, his wife, and his cats—sometimes in that order. He was given to humour that often involved creative mispronunciations of such words as “shiitake”, “brazier”, and “edamame”, and one of his favourite non-gaming hobbies was watching NHL Live with his wife and commenting on Deb Placey’s “fashion outrages” whenever she was on. Those that know Michael will remember him as a devoted husband and catparent, a stubborn man who fought for any crusade that he felt was just, and a tru (if offbeat) friend.

He is survived by his wife Camille, his furry sons Terrence, Castiel, and Sun Tzu, and his siblings Tim, Patrick, Karen, and Andrew. Mrs. Klein asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Cat Angels Cat Rescue in Cary, NC.

Online condolences may be sent to the family through www.brownwynnecary.com.