Obituary

Richard Allen Klumb died Saturday September 27, 2025. He was born on September 23, 1931 to Carl E Klumb of West Bend and Agnes E (Majkowski) Klumb, formerly of Milwaukee. Richard attended Holy Angels Grade School and graduated from West Bend High School in 1949. While, in High School he participated in football, track and singing with the chorus and several ensembles. He was the soloist at his High School graduation ceremonies. During High School, he met his sweetheart Margie Groh and they married on September 19, 1953, after he had graduated from the University of Notre Name. In college, he studied Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and received his BSME degree. He used his engineering knowledge throughout his working career. In college, he sang with the Notre Dame Glee Club and was proud to sing on The Ed Sullivan TV show on Easter Sunday in 1953. Richard said 1953 was a big year in his life: engaged to Margie, the Sullivan show, graduation, starting his first job at A C Spark Plug Div of GMC (recruited by them on campus prior to graduation), marrying Margie, moving into their first apartment on the East side of Milwaukee within walking distance of work and getting drafted in November. The Korean War was over earlier in 1953, so after Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood Mo, he was sent to Fort Belvoir, VA and worked in the Engineering School Library as a Librarian. Margie joined him there and their first son Douglas James was born in the Army Hospital. In November 1955 Richard was discharged from the Army and the 3 headed back to West Bend where he started his career in the Engineering Department of West Bend Equipment Corporation.

Their first home was a duplex near Regner Park, where David Carl joined the family and in the next several years Lynn Kathryn and Diane Marie arrived in their new home on Beverly Lane, also near Regner Park. Later a move to Golfview Drive and when they became empty nesters, built a home on Barberry Place in West Bend. While their children were growing up, Margie and Richard followed them to their various school activities. Family vacations took them all to Florida, Yellowstone and the Rocky Mountains, California, touring Wisconsin and the Midwest.

As a design engineer Richard was challenged to design scissor lifts for the Material Handling Industry. His first design was a 4,000 pound unit to lift to 37 Inches. He was heard to say, that he was very pleased when under load, it went up and down without any problem. Years later he designed a very large capacity scissor lift for the space industry. This lift was 8 feet wide by 30 feet long and lifted 100,000 pounds to a height of 13 feet. In 1973 Richard was elected President of the Company, but continued as Director of Engineering and continued to design the company's products. One of his special designs was a scissor lift to be used as a stage elevator for the Fireside Theater in Fort Atkinson, WI. He also designed a special scissor lift for the New York World's Fair in 1963.

During his 42 years with The Company, Richard was active with many business organizations and associations. These include American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Material Handling Dealers Association, and Association of Portable Elevators and Lift Truck Manufacturers. He was a Professional Certified in Material Handling and Material Management and was a member of a nationwide committee to develop a manufacturing code for the scissor lift industry.

Richard was active in his church (Holy Angels) as a lay minister, reader, trustee, parish council, school board, Holy Name Society, and co-chair of several fund raising committees. In 2002 he wrote the 150 year history of Holy Angels Congregation as part of their 150 year celebration.

In the community, Richard was active in the Jaycees, Chamber of Commerce (Ambassadors), United Way, Rotary Club (member since 1957 including perfect attendance since 1964) and Habitat for Humanity (Board of Directors, Building Committee, helped to build many homes, helped to build ReStores in West Bend, Beaver Dam and Germantown and a member of the German Fest committee to organize and promote this annual celebration since 2016). He was a member of a committee in 1960 to recommend to the voters of both West Bend and the (then) Village of Barton to consolidate into one community. He was proud to be the President of the Vocational School (now MPTC) and purchase the land and hire the architect and contractor for the first phase of MPTC. As a member of Musical Masquers for many years Richard not only acted in plays, but helped with the design and the building of stage sets for the plays. He was a docent for the Historical Society and especially enjoyed giving tours of the Old Jail and Sheriffs Residence. He served on the Red Cross Board and drove clients to their appointments over a 12-year period. He served on several Mayor's committees to plan the future of West Bend and was a regular blood donor (37 + gallons). He belonged to the American Legion and Korean War Veterans Association. In 2017 Richard went to Washington, D. C. on the Honor Flight, with his son Doug as his guardian.

He went on many Habitat and Mission trips especially after Katrina and told stories of his experiences. His knowledge of early West Bend was amazing and he was called the auxiliary mayor by several of the acting mayors.

Richard's hobbies included fishing, golfing, woodworking, stamp collecting, singing, watching and going to Green Bay Packer Football Games, including the Ice Bowl with Margie on December 31, 1967. He enjoyed taking people to Notre Dame for football games and a tour of the campus. He loved to sing and for 27 years was the bass in the Half Notes Quartet with Fred Bury, Leo Schlaefer and Joe Weiss. They sang many gigs in the West Bend area and around the State, including the entertaining of passengers on a dinner cruise boat on the Mississippi River.

Richard received many awards associated with his activities in and around the community. He was very pleased to receive the "Champion of Change" award presented by The Volunteer Center, Ambassador of the year award from the West Bend Chamber of Commerce; this will be an annual award and named the "Richard Klumb Ambassador of the Year" award, 5 times Paul Harris fellowship award, 2 times Rotarian of the year award and twice elected as President of The West Bend Rotary Club.

He loved to travel and with Margie went to many continents including Africa, Asia, South America, Europe and North America. Their travels included 49 of our States, missing only Rhode Island.

Richard spent several years collecting information associated with his family and ancestry and with the help of his friend Russ Wanta took the Klumb family back to 720 AD. At the same time he wrote his memoirs from age 5 or 6 to the year 2021. In his later life he started to cook, especially after Margie could no longer prepare their meals. After Margie went to New Perspective, he made meals for himself and after starting "Men's Night" (MN) with Russ in 2020, prepared gourmet meals for the MN group. After dinner the group would play sheepshead. He also started a supper only club with 3 other guys in 2006 and they called it "Men's Night Out" (MNO). It still functions as an every other month social.

Surviving Richard are his 4 children; Douglas (Janine), David, Lynn, and Diane (Joseph), 9 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren, friends, relatives, neighbors Jeremy, Amy, Alex and Anna Miller and special friends Russ and Laurie Wanta, Al and Mike Wiedmeyer and Amy Jones.

Preceding Richard to the Kingdom of Heaven were his wife of 67 years Margie, his parents Carl and Agnes Klumb, sister Marilyn Williams and many other relatives and friends.

Phillips Funeral Home is assisting the family and Richard's wishes are to be cremated and cremains to be placed alongside Margie in Holy Angels Cemetery.

A memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00am on Saturday, October 18th, 2025 at Holy Angels Catholic Church. Private family interement to follow.

Memorials to the Holy Angels School Trust Fund would be appreciated.

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