John Paul Klass,

JOHN PAUL KLASS, JR. John Paul Klass, Jr. passed away peacefully while asleep on Wednesday, September 2, 2015, in Plano, Texas. John Klass was born in Lawton, Oklahoma, on March 2, 1930, the son of John Paul Klass and Sarah Ann Gartrell. John graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Chemical Engineering in 1953. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. On June 20,1953, he married Norma Geree McCurdy also of Lawton, and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. Following graduation the young couple moved to Texas City, Texas, where John began a successful career with Union Carbide. John and Geree had two children, Gene Anne Klass Culbertson of Snowmass Village, Colorado, and John Paul Klass, III of Plano, Texas. John and Geree were active members of the Texas City community, participating in the First Presbyterian Church and the Galveston Boat Club where John pursued his love of sailing. John retired from Union Carbide in 1993, after forty years with the company. He remained an active member of the community, serving on the board of the Gulf Coast Water Authority. In October, 2011, John and Geree moved to Plano, Texas, to be near their son Paul and his wife, Sheree Mote Klass. John is survived by his wife Geree; his sisters, Mary Klass Lehtonen, and her husband, Carl, of Austin, Texas, Nancy Klass Medlock, and her husband, Bryan, of Highland Park, Texas: his children, Gene Anne Klass Culbertson, and her husband, Kurt, of Snowmass Village, Colorado, and John Paul Klass, III, and his wife, Sheree, of Plano, Texas; two granddaughters, Erin Culbertson Wieber (Ken) of Larchmont, New York and Sarah Culbertson Warren (Gabriel) of Tallahassee, Florida; and his great grandchildren, Caelin Anne Wieber of Larchmont, New York, and James Kurt Wieber also of Larchmont. In addition, John leaves behind several nieces and nephews. The full and wonderful life of John Paul Klass, Jr. will be celebrated at 2:00 PM, on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at Distinctive Life, 1611 North Central Expressway, Plano, Texas. In lieu of flowers, it is requested that contributions be made to Life With Dignity Hospice, 4809 Cole Avenue, Suite 200, Dallas, Texas 75025 1(972)997-5941, www.lifewithdignity.care. Donations may be made by phone or email.