Bruce A. Klingele, age 84, died in the loving arms of his wife Janice, surrounded by family, on June 19, 2024. He was born September 22, 1939, to Marce and Dorothy (Glisan) Klingele. Bruce attended St. John the Baptist elementary school and Notre Dame High School in Quincy, IL where he made many lifelong friends.
He entered service in the Army in 1958 primarily stationed in Germany. He traveled all over Europe during his service and had many adventures with good friends and fellow soldiers. He received a special commendation for his efforts to raise money as the Charity Officer for his unit. Bruce left the Army in 1961 and returned to Quincy to work as plant foreman in the Foam Air Packaging Company founded by his father Marce Klingele, Arnold Mo and Bud Meyer. He later worked as a pattern tester for Midwest Patterns, Inc.
He married the love of his life, Janice K. Willer, on July 21, 1962 after a long distance courtship of letters during his service overseas. He was a loving and devoted husband. They enjoyed dancing and going out with friends.
Bruce loved the outdoors and shared that love with his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. He taught everyone to fish and hunt. He loved taking care of his farm near Mendon, IL, raising cattle and caring for horses, maintaining birdhouses for migrating purple martins, planting flowers, and carving hiking trails through the woods. He could fix anything. He delighted in cheering on his children and grandchildren at the various sports they took up. He encouraged them to join him in to his lifelong passion for horses. He was fearless, riding horses well into his 70s. In his later years he enjoyed 10:30 am naps in his chair at the farm.
He was a loving, generous and devoted brother, father, grandfather and great grandfather. He set an example to work hard but still make time for play. He and Janice made sure there was a vacation to enjoy every summer with their five children. He taught his kids to be resilient, to never give up on the things that are important, an example that he set every day of his life.
He was devoted to his Catholic faith and never missed Wednesday morning mass at St. Francis Solanus Catholic Church. He was lifelong member of the Knights of Columbus.
Bruce is survived by his wife of 62 years, Janice K. (Willer) Klingele and his children, Cheryl (Dale) Waterman, Linda (Steve) Fairbanks, Chuck (Cheryl) Klingele, Denise (Joe) Nelson, and Pat (Tammy) Klingele and 12 grandchildren: Ashley (Nick) Neuser, Kelsey (Craig) Howard, Evan Fairbanks, Allie Klingele, Stephen Nelson, Dylan Waterman, Dalton Klingele, Emily (Jacob) Smith, Hunter Klingele, Hadley Klingele (eng. Jack McCutchen), Jacob Nelson, Keegan Klingele, and great grandson Callan Howard. He is survived by siblings Lynn (Martha) Klingele, Becky (John) Barbieri, Joyce (Terry) Moon and his aunt, Minnie Jo Glisan.
Surviving from his Willer family are Charlene (Jerry) Grawe, Nancy Wolever, Vicky (Roger) Greene, Ed (Linda) Willer. Bruce is also survived by many loved Klingele and Willer family nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his parents and brother, Dr. Terrence Glisan Klingele and his wife Enid. From his Willer family, he is preceded in death by Bert and Eleanor Willer, brother-in-law Gene Willer and his wife Brenda, sister-in-law Donna Lenane and her husband Leo, and brother-in-law Chuck Wolever.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be on Monday, June 24, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. in St. Francis Solanus Catholic Church in Quincy, IL. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery.
The visitation will be held Sunday, June 23rd from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at St. Francis Church. Memorials may be made to Quincy Notre Dame High School Foundation, St. Francis Solanus Catholic Church, or to the Adams County Horse Arena Club. Service arrangements are with Duker & Haugh Funeral Home.