He was born in Waterloo, Iowa, on February 4, 1959, to Dennis & Frances (Nierman) Klug. The family moved to Lakeland, Florida, when Darwin was in elementary school.
Darwin inherited his interest in pipe organs from his father, who was both an organist and a builder who started his own company in Lakeland, spending time with Darwin and his brother David in that endeavor. Darwin had a special affinity for the craftsmanship of tracker pipe organs, spending his career designing, perfecting and delighting in these grand instruments after graduating from Valparaiso University with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He built and left a legacy of both sight and sound, including founding Heissler in America to bring his custom organ designs, executed with German craftmanship, to the United States, including as far away as Honolulu. He loved working and traveling in Germany and the wonderful friends he made there. He met his wife and best friend Angela thanks to a pipe organ he installed in the home of her neighbors.
Darwin was easy to like and lots of fun as well as patient, kind, sweet and conscientious. He always strove to do the right thing. He loved his family, Bach, history, politics, Hemingway, Napoleon and L.A. (Lower Alabama) gumbo. Most of all he loved being with his son Brian, fellow Organ Guy, with whom he roamed the state and other parts of the Southeast on their many pizza-filled tuning trips. He was the best of dads.
Darwin’s positive spirit left us too soon, we miss him deeply, and we will continue to celebrate him and his very well-lived life.
Darwin is survived by his wife, Angela Klug, and son, Brian Klug; mother, Frances Klug; sister, Phyllis Allmon (Randell, dec'd), and brother, David Klug; niece, Julie Allmon, and nephew, David Allmon (Destany), as well as many other beloved relatives.
A Celebration of Darwin’s Life will be planned for later this year. Details will be posted here on this site.
In lieu of flowers, the Klug Family invites you to send a remembrance or story of Darwin to Angela.
Condolences may be offered in the online guest book below.
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