Ed Klemmer Memorial Service

A memorial service for Ed Klemmer was held at Community UCC on February 11, 2019. The video of the service is available here in two versions. The first is an edited version which removes all congregational singing and spoken comments from members of the congregation. All words spoken from the pulpit are retained. The second is the complete service. Ed's obituary from the Raleigh News & Observer is further down on this page.

Edited Version (40 minutes) (Also available on Vimeo)

Filmed by Lavon Page

Complete Version (62 minutes) (Also available on Vimeo)

Filmed by Lavon Page

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Ed Klemmer Obituary (from the Raleigh N&O)

July 22, 1924 - February 3, 2019

Cary

With great sadness the family of Edmund Theophilus Klemmer announces his death, at age 94, at his residence in Glenaire retirement community.

Edmund was born in Boston, MA, and raised in Fair Lawn, NJ; graduating from Eastside HS, Paterson, NJ. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from Webb Institute, Glen Cove, NY, and a PhD in Psychology from Columbia University, NY. Edmund served as a fire control officer in the US Navy aboard the USS West Virginia in the Pacific.

Edmund's civilian career began at David Taylor Model Basin, Carderock, MD. In 1957, he joined the research team at IBM, Yorktown Heights, NY and then, in 1962 moved to human factors engineering research at Bell Telephone Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ and Holmdel, NJ. After retiring from Bell Labs in 1982, he worked as an ergonomics consultant to various research firms, and at IBM, Research Triangle Park, NC.

Ed met and married Ruth Anna Rickers at Luther Place Memorial Church in Washington, DC. They had two children. The family especially enjoyed travelling and skiing together. Ed also enjoyed playing tennis, organizing new leagues each time the family moved. Working for peace and social justice was a moral imperative for Ed, and he invested great energy and resources toward those objectives.

Edmund was predeceased by his son, Paul Edmund Klemmer, and by his wife of 62 years, Ruth. He is survived by his daughter, Karen Klemmer Brown and her husband Sanford Brown of NJ; granddaughter Kimberly Ruth Brown and her wife Kimberly Borne of NC; grandsons Daniel Walter Brown of DE and Keith Edmund Brown of NJ.

A memorial service will be held on February 11, 2019 at 10:30 AM at Community United Church of Christ, 814 Dixie Trail, Raleigh, NC. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Community United Church of Christ, Citizens for Global Solutions, or the charity of your choice.
Published in The News & Observer from Feb. 7 to Feb. 10, 2019