Ed Ernest Klocke

Edward Ernest Klocke, 87, was born August 16, 1929, in Blue Island, IL. He died peacefully on April 11, 2017, after a long illness at Renaissance Village nursing facility. Ed was the son of Ernest and Charlotte (Marquardt) Klocke.  After graduation from Blue Island Community High School, Ed enrolled at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois. There, he met Dolores Skelton, the love of his life. A year after De graduated from Western, Ed was drafted into the U.S. Marine Corps and stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii. The couple married on August 21, 1952, in Honolulu where they lived for three years. Moving back to Blue Island, Ed took a position at a men's clothing store and discovered a love of clothes. Later, he opened a sporting goods store with his best friend. Ed's next job was as a sales representative for Lederle Laboratories, a position that brought the Klockes to Fort Wayne in 1962. When Glenbrook Shopping Mall first opened, Ed took a position with L.S. Ayres as one of three floor managers. In 1969, he was named administrator for the Three Rivers Neighborhood Health Services, a position he held for nearly 20 years. Following retirement, he served as executive secretary for the Downtown Fort Wayne Rotary Club.  Survivors include: Sister, Miriam Andersen (Palos Park, IL) and many nieces and nephews from both sides of the family along with a number of great nieces and great nephews. De predeceased him by 8 days.  One of Ed's passions was cooking. He created dishes that were beautiful as well as tasty. Among his favorites were: Bananas Foster, vegetable chartreuse, and pot d'creme. He also insisted on the best cooking utensils for his recipes. Once in New Orleans, he bought a large shallow, hand-hammered copper skillet just for Bananas Foster. It was the best pan, he said, to show off the flames when he flambéed the dish at table-side. Ed made pot d'creme for every New Year's Eve dinner, serving it in tiny white porcelain pots with lids. His apple pancakes were a favorite Sunday-morning hit. One friend said, "The Klocke kitchen is the best restaurant in town."  Ed also appreciated cars, owning a total of 35 in his lifetime. One, a 1975 Porsche 911, was a favorite as were 2 Jaguars and a Mercedes. Ed and De also loved Schnauzers, treating each of the 6 they owned as "family members." Pappakechee was the first, followed by PT (Pappakechee Too), Paddy Murphy, Pappy, Ritti (a rescue dog), and another Pappy.  In retirement, Ed's work with the Fort Wayne Downtown Rotary Club gave him great satisfaction. As Executive Secretary for a decade, he set a personal standard for the Club that lived up to the Rotarians' 4-Way Test.  His favorite sports team was the North Side Redskins (now the Legends). At times he assisted as a volunteer coach at the school with the tennis and golf teams. He and De were fixtures at North Side, cheering the teams on from the stands and attending music concerts, special programs and competitions. He was also a regular recruit to help monitor the SAT exams that the Guidance Office conducted.  His love of travel took him and De throughout the U.S., to many of the European countries, to Brazil, and to Japan. Ed was a great supporter of the Sister Cities International program, welcoming student exchange students into their home and supporting their activities as well as the organization itself.  Always, Ed had a cheerful word for all and was "game" for any new travel opportunity or adventure. He especially loved Paris where he spent time shopping at the famous Fauchon delicatessen and grocer's shop and dining at Le Procope, reputedly the oldest cafe in the City of Lights.   A joint memorial service for Ed and De will take place on Sunday, June 11, from 1 to 4 pm at Ceruti's.  Memorials for Ed can be directed to BrightFocus Foundation (the Alzheimer's Disease Research Foundation ; online at BrightFocus Foundation) in memory of Ed.

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