Phyllis M. Klein, of Warwick, passed away peacefully on May 10, 2009 at her home. She was 87 years old. Born on July 14, 1921 in Spring Lake, NJ, she was the daughter of the late Carl Bentzen and Phyllis Lawton Bentzen. She was married to the late Edward N. Klein for 61 years.
A family statement reads: An avid quilter, artist, writer and editor, Phyllis Klein was well-known in the area for her major contributions to the arts. A retired newspaper writer and editor, she had a continuing involvement in art since her youth and was well established as an artist before she discovered quilting, her true passion, in 1974. Klein, a long-time member of the Warwick Art League, exhibited her watercolor paintings in many states and held five one-woman shows. In 2003, she was awarded Third Place in the Warwick Valley Telephone Director Cover Competition with her painting “The Wawayanda Winds though Warwick.” For three years she hosted a weekly cable television program on the arts interviewing artists and sharing her own enthusiasm for a variety of disciplines. When her interest in color, design and needlework introduced her to quilting, she focused on that art for the rest of her life. Her prizewinning quilts have been requested at dozens of quilt shows and featured in both national and international publications including two magazine covers. A professional writer, she authored dozens of articles published in national quilting magazines including one on antique quilts. She was certified by the National Quilting Association as teacher and master quilt judge and presented numerous lectures and workshops at shows nationwide. She also served for two years as a member of the National Quilting Association’s Board of Directors. She also coordinated many different quilt shows for various organizations and served as regional chairman for the New York Quilt Project. Phyllis enjoyed traveling and studying quilts and fabric from other countries and spent time in England, China and Japan in her pursuit of knowledge about the art.
Perhaps her most notable achievement was in founding the thriving Warwick Valley Quilters Guild in 1982. She served as their first president and in 1987 she conceived and produced a major ongoing seminar called “Quilting in the Valley,” that was held every other year for the next decade. More than 100 participants from around the country attended the workshops staffed by her and other top-notch teachers. Earlier this year, the Warwick Valley Quilters Guild created “The Phyllis Klein Scholarship” to honor her contributions to their organization.
Phyllis met her beloved husband Ed when she went to work for him as an editor at his newspaper, “The Home News” in Oakhurst, NJ. They married the next year on September 12, 1947. In 1962, the couple decided on a move from the Jersey shore when they found out The Warwick Advertiser was for sale. When they saw the beautiful view of the Warwick Valley from the top of Mount Peter, they fell in love with the place and later with the people of the Warwick Valley. Over the decades, the Kleins worked side by side in the newspaper business and later at radio station WTBQ in 1969, Warwick Cable in the early 1970s and the Hudson Valley Business Journal (1986-2000). And although Phyllis Klein officially “retired” from working at her husband’s business ventures, she found new passion and purpose when she discovered quilting. Her car’s bumper sticker said “I’d rather be quilting,” and that is truly what gave her the most pleasure in her life. Among her favorite activities was sitting in a comfortable chair, quilting, while watching NFL football games.
In November, 2007, the Village and Town of Warwick and the County of Orange honored both Phyllis and Ed on the occasion of their 60th wedding anniversary. “The Kleins have given so much back to the area we wanted to note their landmark anniversary with a proclamation from the Village,” said Warwick Village Mayor Michael Newhard at the special event before the Town Board meeting that was attended by dozens of well-wishers. Town of Warwick Supervisor Michael Sweeton agreed and added that “the Kleins have each uniquely contributed to our area and we are proud to be able to honor them in this way.”
Phyllis inspired many people with her incredible talent and energy. May her legacy be to continue to propel people to create and thrive in pursuing the art in their own lives.
She is survived by her children: Pip (Julie Ann) Klein and her husband Robert Grawi of Florida, NY; Claudia Jane Klein Piper and her husband George of Lake Worth, FL; Donald Klein and his wife Judi Mauck of Marina Del Ray, CA; and her grandchildren: Nik Swanton of Baltimore, MD and Benjamin Julius Grawi of Florida, NY; great-grandchildren: Jesse Swanton and Matthew Swanton of Baltimore, MD; a brother, Francis Bentzen and his wife Kay of Idaho Falls, ID; a sister, Betty Pasta of Palo Alto, CA; and her best friend and fellow quilter, Ruth Culver of Kingston, NY.
Memorial donations may be sent to: Alzheimer’s Association, 453 Route 211 East, Suite 301, Middletown, NY 10940. Contributions should be earmarked: “Team Patchwork for Phyllis Klein,” in support of the walking team that will be participating in the 2009 Memory Walk, Saturday, September 26, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. in Goshen, NY. All contributions are designated for local Alzheimer’s services. For more information, call their office at 845-342-2247.
Private funeral arrangements were under the direction of Lazear-Smith & Vander Plaat Memorial Home, 17 Oakland Ave., Warwick, NY 10990 – www.lsvpmemorialhome.com
