Richard Carl Klein

Richard Carl Klein (Dick) was born on September 10, 1934, in Seattle, Washington, to Mathew Klein and Alice Lee Klein, nee (Giddens). He and his family moved to San Bruno, CA in 1947. He finished grammar and middle school there. He started San Mateo Union High School but chose, in 1952, to join the apprenticeship machinist program at the San Francisco Naval Shipyard; while in that program, he received his GED. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in November 1954. He did boot camp at Fort Ord, and was assigned to LA and Texas bases before being shipped out to Germany. Luckily, he was bumped from a military fight to Germany as the plane crashed in New Jersey on Friday the 13th.

He married Margaret L. Brown of San Mateo while in Germany in 1957. Upon returning to the USA, they resided in San Bruno, California. Their son, Richard C. Klein II, was born there on March 17, 1958.

Dick went back to work at the San Francisco Naval Shipyard from October 1957 to 1960 and became a Journeyman Machinist. When the shipyard closed, he was on one of the last work groups left at the yard. He transferred to the U. S. Naval Radiological Lab on Hunter’s Point in San Francisco. Because of his training on high vacuum systems, he worked on the Cyclotron. When the Rad Lab closed, he transferred to the San Francisco Mint.

He planned, developed, and worked on high-speed packaging lines. At the Old San Francisco Mint, which survived the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and fire, he was given a large crate of pieces and parts to a German-made press. There were no directions. You can now use the press to print your own coin while on a tour of the facility.

After being upgraded to Model Maker, he transferred to Oak Knoll Naval Hospital in Oakland, CA, in 1988. There, he designed and made prototype biomedical equipment. During his work years, he attended classes at the College of San Mateo, City College of San Francisco, and the University of California.

Dick was a long-time member and officer in the San Bruno and Pacifica Lions Club, as well as the American Legion Posts of both towns. He was a volunteer at the San Bruno Police Department. After a chase with a juvenile delinquent, Dick decided to help teenagers before they became delinquents. He became a Scout Master and Commissioner. He organized one of the first co-educational scout troops in the Bay Area and enjoyed teaching backpacking and cooking. His pies and rolls on a homemade reflector oven were first class.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Margaret (nee Brown); son Rich, daughter-in-law Shelley, grandson Richard Klein III (Lil Rich), wife Brandi (nee Stern) and his children, Austin and Payten Klein; Granddaughter Megan Klein and husband Matt Lawes of Blackfoot, ID and their children, Mia, Memphis and Madi Jo. Foster daughter Claudia Lewis, and her husband Gary, and their children Christopher and Erica in Scottsdale, AZ. Eleven great-grandkids in all.

He lived a good life and gave back to the community.