Kenneth Kleeman

Kenneth Kleeman, of Marblehead, Massachusetts and Deer Isle, Maine, passed away on Sunday, June 13, 2022, in Salem, Massachusetts. Kenny was born in Charleston, West Virginia on November 2, 1939, to the late Sydney M. and Beatrice Loeb Kleeman. He was preceded in death by his brother, Sydney L. Kleeman of Delft, The Netherlands.

Kenny grew up on Charleston’s West Side in a boisterous and close-knit community of friends and family. He graduated from the Taft School and cum laude from Washington & Lee University. In college he studied in Paris at La Sorbonne and L’Institut d’Études Politiques, beginning a lifelong love of France.

While working in the training program at Macy’s Department Store in New York, he met his future wife, Joy, to whom he proposed 3 months later. They married and returned to Charleston where he worked alongside his father at Frankenberger’s Department Store, a fixture of Charleston’s downtown business district. In his second career as a financial advisor, he helped hundreds of clients manage their investments.

Kenny generously volunteered his time and talents to many organizations, including president of the Charleston Chamber Music Society, the University of Charleston, The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, Temple Israel and the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences. Most recently he helped the underserved prepare their tax returns and served on the boards for Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival and Island Heritage Trust in Maine.

He pursued his hobbies with zeal. He had a near-perfect recall of every golf course he played and every mountain he skied. He loved hiking, kayaking, and sailing with friends on and around Deer Isle, Maine. He spent many hours tending his native plant and organic vegetable gardens. He was a proud member of the Island Country Club’s Hole-in-One Club (15th hole).

Above all, he cherished his family and the time they spent together in Charleston and Maine, and on the many family reunions he meticulously planned. He is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Joy Klee Kleeman; his children, John Kleeman, Linda Kleeman (Jeffrey Oringer), and Emily Kleeman (David Gehrig); his adored grandchildren, Joseph, Samson, Caroline, Miles, Nina, and Russell; and his faithful dog, Chowder.

Kenny’s wisdom, humility and kindness endeared him to all, and he will be dearly missed. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation (www.tgkvf.org), Island Heritage Trust (www.islandheritagetrust.org), Kneisel Hall (www.kneisel.org), or to the charity of your choice.

With many family members and friends living far away, there will be a memorial Zoom celebration of Kenny’s life which will be announced in the future.