Dorothy
Dorothy Kluk
d. April 26, 2016
Dorothy Wynell Kluk, age 89, of Los Alamos, NM, died peacefully in her sleep on April 26, 2016, with her devoted son, Michael, by her side. Dorothy was preceded in death by her spouse, Joseph Roman Kluk; her parents, George Lonnie and Etta Pearl (White) Smith; and her brother and sisters, Odell Smith, Ruby (Smith) Bowen, Louise (Smith) Zimmerman, and Billy Jean (Smith) Wall.
Dorothy is survived by her two sons, Joseph Kluk of Highlands Ranch, CO; Michael Kluk (wife Emily) of Los Alamos, NM, four grandchildren, Brandon Kluk (wife Bethany) of Bremerton, WA, Amber Kauffman (husband Brandon) of Rio Rancho, NM, Chandra Kluk (fiancé Jon McDonald) of Grand Junction, CO, and Nichole Kluk of Denver, CO; five great-granddaughters, Madalyn, Michaela, and Macyn Kluk of Bremerton, WA, and Natalie and Sarah Kauffman of Rio Rancho, NM; two loving sisters, Betty Jo Griffith (husband JD) of Menard, TX, and Lonnie Hunsaker of Sanger, CA; dear friends Sharon Kluk, Liz Rutherford, and the Guenette family; favorite poker pals Margaret Jaramillo Cox and Barbara Buchen; and her dedicated nurses and doctors, Jenny Dimarino, Kristi Bradshaw, Sande Cremer, Madhavi Garimella, MD, and Dr. Anthony Sandoval, MD.
Dorothy was born in Melvin, TX, on November, 15, 1926, and spent most of her youth in Menard, TX. While visiting and working in California, she met and eventually married Joseph Roman Kluk on July 8, 1944. When Joe was discharged from the Marine Corp, the couple settled in Roswell, NM. Dorothy worked at various jobs and eventually settled into employment with the telephone company where she worked until the arrival of her sons, Joseph (1958) and Michael (1960). She was a dedicated homemaker with varied interests in arts, crafts, sewing, cooking and gardening. When the boys were older, she went back to work with the Roswell School District as a bus driver for special needs children and then in the Food Services Department. In 2008, Dorothy moved to Los Alamos to be near family where she lived independently until her death. Her favorite hobbies were preparing daily lunches for her son, Michael, sharing her famous cookies and desserts, crocheting, going to the casino, and playing poker with her friends.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos, NM on Monday, May 23, 2016 at 11:00 am with a reception to follow. Burial will be at a later date at Memorial Lawn Cemetery in Roswell, NM. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital or to the Los Alamos Visiting Nurses Services (LAVNS, PO Box 692, Los Alamos, NM, 87544 http://www.lavns.com/donate). The family of Dorothy Kluk has entrusted the care of their loved one to the DeVargas Funeral Home and & Crematory of the Espanola Valley.
Dorothy is survived by her two sons, Joseph Kluk of Highlands Ranch, CO; Michael Kluk (wife Emily) of Los Alamos, NM, four grandchildren, Brandon Kluk (wife Bethany) of Bremerton, WA, Amber Kauffman (husband Brandon) of Rio Rancho, NM, Chandra Kluk (fiancé Jon McDonald) of Grand Junction, CO, and Nichole Kluk of Denver, CO; five great-granddaughters, Madalyn, Michaela, and Macyn Kluk of Bremerton, WA, and Natalie and Sarah Kauffman of Rio Rancho, NM; two loving sisters, Betty Jo Griffith (husband JD) of Menard, TX, and Lonnie Hunsaker of Sanger, CA; dear friends Sharon Kluk, Liz Rutherford, and the Guenette family; favorite poker pals Margaret Jaramillo Cox and Barbara Buchen; and her dedicated nurses and doctors, Jenny Dimarino, Kristi Bradshaw, Sande Cremer, Madhavi Garimella, MD, and Dr. Anthony Sandoval, MD.
Dorothy was born in Melvin, TX, on November, 15, 1926, and spent most of her youth in Menard, TX. While visiting and working in California, she met and eventually married Joseph Roman Kluk on July 8, 1944. When Joe was discharged from the Marine Corp, the couple settled in Roswell, NM. Dorothy worked at various jobs and eventually settled into employment with the telephone company where she worked until the arrival of her sons, Joseph (1958) and Michael (1960). She was a dedicated homemaker with varied interests in arts, crafts, sewing, cooking and gardening. When the boys were older, she went back to work with the Roswell School District as a bus driver for special needs children and then in the Food Services Department. In 2008, Dorothy moved to Los Alamos to be near family where she lived independently until her death. Her favorite hobbies were preparing daily lunches for her son, Michael, sharing her famous cookies and desserts, crocheting, going to the casino, and playing poker with her friends.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos, NM on Monday, May 23, 2016 at 11:00 am with a reception to follow. Burial will be at a later date at Memorial Lawn Cemetery in Roswell, NM. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital or to the Los Alamos Visiting Nurses Services (LAVNS, PO Box 692, Los Alamos, NM, 87544 http://www.lavns.com/donate). The family of Dorothy Kluk has entrusted the care of their loved one to the DeVargas Funeral Home and & Crematory of the Espanola Valley.
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