Otmar A. Klee, 88, of Bloomfield, CT, formerly of Simsbury, CT, passed away on April 18, 2018, in Bloomfield, from complications of Parkinson’s Disease.
He was born in Germersheim, Germany, the son of the late Hermann and Anna (Koch) Klee, and emigrated to the USA in 1956 after working for the US Air Force as an interpreter. He spent his US career at the Aetna Life and Casualty Company, starting as a punch card sorter and retiring as Vice President of Data Processing in the Personal Services Financial Division. He attained his USA citizenship in 1963 and his BS in electrical engineering in 1967 from the University of Hartford.
During his Aetna career Otmar was a user consultant for IBM in the USA, Canada, and Europe, and a guest lecturer at the IBM Management Development School, Harvard Business School, Dartmouth College, Queens University Ontario, Canada, and others. He attended the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies and was on the Business Advisory Council of Susquehanna University. He also was a member of various professional groups (Association for Computing Machinery, local chapter chairman, SORC, LOMA - national chairman 1976) and published several papers on information systems in English and in German.
Otmar was an aficionado on anything that had to do with aeronautics and space, from Otto Lilienthal to the current explorations. At age 14 he had earned the Class B certification for glider pilot and later he was a member of the Deutscher Aero Club E.V. (Federation Aeronautique Internationale). When in Ketchum, ID, he grabbed the opportunity to board a modern glider, and no trip to Washington was complete without a visit to the National Air and Space Museum. The TV had to come along to the annual Cape Cod vacations in the 1960s so as not to miss any of the exciting NASA accomplishments. He loved the arts: Classical music, theater, museums.
Otmar is survived by his wife of 62 years, Irmgard (Döring) Klee, his son Roland and wife Jennifer Klee, his daughter Cornelia (Klee) and husband Jonathan Hall, four grandsons: Andrew and Shayna Hall with baby Brooklyn, Christopher and Janelle Hall, Jason and Kayla Hall, and William Otmar Klee. He is also survived by a brother, Wolfgang Klee and wife Heidemarie, a sister Roswitha (Klee) Feierstein, and several nieces and nephews, all of Germany, and by a sister-in-law Adelheid (Döring) and husband Bruce Stryker of Naples, FL. He was predeceased by a sister Zita (Klee) Herzog. Otmar will be missed by family, friends and former colleagues.
The family wishes to express their sincere thanks to the staff of Duncaster and its Caleb Hitchcock nursing facility, including the therapy team, and to Dr. Becherl of the Hartford Hospital Senior Primary Care Clinic, for their professional and caring support.
A gathering with memories and music will be held at the Duncaster Retirement Community,
40 Loeffler Rd, Bloomfield, CT on Sunday, May 6, 2018, at 1:30 p.m. Please enter at the Aquatic & Fitness Center, 30 Loeffler Rd. Burial will be private at the Simsbury Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorial gifts may be made to the Duncaster Foundation or to the University of Hartford. Vincent Funeral Home of Simsbury is in charge of arrangements. Please visit Otmar’s “Book of Memories” at www.vincentfuneralhome.com for online tributes.