George William Kloeppel 1946-2015
On the evening of Sunday, July 26th – just as the rain returned to the Puget Sound – George William Kloeppel moved from this world into the next. He made his transition surrounded by loving family and friends in his beloved Vashon, Washington home. As if there were any further sign needed that George would be welcomed into heaven, the summer rain then abated, the clouds lifted and the evening sun shone down upon Quartermaster Harbor.
George was baptized Methodist and was ‘received’ into the Episcopal Church as an adult while living in Richland. George was a man of duty, responsibility, humor, moderation and
service. He was born February 1, 1946 to Alice and Harland Kloeppel of Tacoma, WA. The town provided a backdrop for his childhood, but it was Vashon Island that stole his heart. In 1949 Alice and Harland purchased a beachfront plot with two cabins on the island’s outer Quartermaster Harbor region.
For the then three-year-old George, the beach, sea, forests and community of the island’s town of Burton was as close to heaven as he could imagine. So many have felt the same since, but George’s good fortune was – because of many sacrifices along the way – that he always returned to the island.
He graduated from Lincoln High School in 1964. It must be noted that no one had more appearances in the ‘64 Lincolnian yearbook than George, having logged stints in student government, choir, key club, Honor Society, theater and boys’ state.
George left the Puget Sound – for the first time – to attend college at Washington State University in Pullman. Having heard President Kennedy’s inauguration call to, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” George committed himself to public service by pursuing a B.A. in Political Science. George made fast friends and joined the WSU chapter of the Delta Chi fraternity. Some of his closest relationships were formed through this fraternity; in fact, he remained a committed alumnus of both WSU and Delta Chi for the rest of his life. It was also during this time that George met and married his wife, Ann Saunderson and where they started their family with the birth of their daughter, Mary in 1966.
George’s desire to serve the public led the family to Seattle, where he attended the University of Washington and received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and also worked for the City of Seattle. With his degree and experience in hand, George accepted a manager position with Grays Harbor County in 1970, marking the beginning of his 42-year career in county government administration. In 1972, George and Ann gave birth to their second child, Ken and six months later, the family made the trek back to eastern Washington so George could assume the Director role at the Benton Franklin Council of Governments. George served in this capacity for eight years when he set off on a new adventure by accepting a director job with the Lane County Council of Governments in Eugene, OR.
George was uniquely blessed to enjoy that rare career; one that matches up so well with an in individual’s passion and skill. His desire to serve, close attention to detail and aptitude for patience all made him ideally suited for local government—a career that also consistently showcased his now famous aplomb for diplomacy and leading people. Few public servants stay in one role for so long, but George sense of commitment and peer regard – a rare combination – allowed him to thrive until the end of his working life.
While George was answering the call to public service by helping “to make local government operate more efficiently” across the Pacific Northwest, he was also spending his free time finding ways to serve the public and his faith, and to aid those less fortunate. Whether it was for the Southtown Rotary, United Way of Lane County or St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, George didn’t merely serve… he led. He felt it was both his duty and his honor.
Anyone who knew George eventually found out that there was something else about him; something kind of mysterious, like he led another life. Well, he did! From Tacoma to Eugene and all points in between, there was one place to which he always returned: the Burton beachfront on Vashon Island. Ann and George had for many years settled into a routine that would see Ann and the kids on Vashon for the summer while George would commute on the weekends from wherever the “other” home was at that time. Those beautiful journeys back and forth instilled a similar reverence for Vashon in Ann, Mary and Ken and has been carried forward to George’s grandchildren. The island was George’s social touchstone; the standard by which all other places would be judged.
One of the most difficult parts of George’s passing is that he had saved so much of his personal life for retirement only to be robbed of his hard-earned rewards by the ravages of disease. But his family and friends take comfort in how peaceful his passing was; they take solace in all the experiences they shared with him. His spirit will live closely inside those he touched and his presence will never leave the Burton beach.
On the day he passed, the choir George sang with from Church of the Holy Spirit came to serenade him, and a longtime fraternity brother arrived to join his family and neighbors in saying goodbye. George’s last sight on this earth was that of the Quartermaster Harbor, his family, his friends accompanied by beautiful music. The scene recalls something George wrote to the LCOG organization when he retired after 31 years: “This position has been a ‘good fit’ for me. Together we have done some amazing things. It’s been a very good ride.”
George is survived by his ex-wife, Ann Saunderson; his daughter Mary Kloeppel Remash (Vashon) and son, Ken Kloeppel (Nikki) (Seattle); his 4 grandchildren (Halle Remash, Marli Remash, Andrew Kloeppel, & Adam Kloeppel).
A Celebration of Life will take place on Friday, August 7th at 11:00 AM at Church of the Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 15420 Vashon Highway SW, Vashon, WA . In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of George’s life may be made to Church of the Holy Spirit, PO Box 508, Vashon, WA 98070, or to a charity of your choice.
Paid Obituary.
