Obituary of Mary Kathryn Klopfer

Colonie - Mary Kathryn Klopfer, 72, of Colonie, NY, passed away suddenly on January 18, 2022, at her home. She was born in Albany, NY, on August 31, 1949, to Sara Jane (Brown) and William J. Klopfer, who both preceded her in death.  She is survived by her sister, Laura (Leland) Finch of Brookfield, WI, her nieces Sara (Russell) Schubert of Wauwatosa, WI, Rachel (James) Driscoll of Milwaukee, WI, and Amanda (Ryan) Halverson of McFarland, WI, and grand-nephews, Leland Schubert, and Renner Halverson.

Mary lived in Colonie her whole life, attended Pine Grove United Methodist Church, and graduated from Colonie Central High in 1967.  She earned an AS degree in Fashion Merchandising from Green Mountain College, Vermont; and went on to earn a BS in Marketing from SUNY Albany.  Mary worked in retail for Cohoes Manufacturing, Flah’s, Macy’s, and also Walden Books, which suited her well, for her lifelong passion was reading!  Mary enjoyed this work, later returning to assorted retail positions, to fill her spare time. 

After retail, Mary worked at The Research Foundation.  She liked working in downtown Albany, and the friendships made there were special.  She savored food and drink with friends at Jack’s.  She attended multiple Neil Diamond concerts and couldn’t wait for the next!   She once accompanied her three very young nieces downtown to share 4th of July Fireworks on the Capitol lawn, and had fun showing-off the evolving city.  Her recent position was for the State Cancer Registry.  She felt that she had found a home there and good friends.  Always a dedicated worker, when asked if she was going to retire, she would say, “What would I do if I retired!” 

Family was everything to her!  She was a devoted daughter, who greatly admired her father, and was very close to her mother.  She was her mother’s companion in the years after her father’s passing.  They shopped, traveled to see family, were active at church, and made trips to camp.  Near her mother’s end of life, Mary was there, to keep her in her home, and make her comfortable until she passed.  

She was a dedicated aunt, and was present for every major life event, including graduations and weddings.  In the past decade, she was an equally loving great-aunt to her grand-nephews.  She always asked about the much-loved family dogs.  Mary had a knack for making one feel special, by selecting the perfect gift for any occasion, wrapping it beautifully, seeking out the most hilarious card, and signing it with her cursive that was somehow incredibly elegant and completely legible (her nieces would be in favor of the creation of a “Mary” font)!  She never ended a phone call or card without saying, “Love you and miss you!”

Mary cherished spending holidays with her sister, Laura, and family in whatever state they were living in at the time!  She also joined them at the family camp where 46 years of fabulous memories were made, including trips to Lake Placid, chairlift rides up White Face, taking the girls to Santa’s Workshop, shopping in Vermont, and just enjoying family and friends.

Mary was overjoyed to share holidays and celebrations with family and friends from the Hildenbrandt clan, and to watch their families grow.  They too were her family, and she loved them all very much! 

Mary will be remembered and missed for her unparalleled knowledge, her sense of humor, her quick wit and laugh, which made every conversation with her so enjoyable! 

A Memorial Celebration will be held on May 19, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at Reilly & Son Funeral Home, 1200 Central Ave., Colonie, NY 12205, followed by a procession to Memory Gardens Cemetery in Colonie.   In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the William K. Sanford Town Library, 629 Albany Shaker Rd, Loudonville, NY 12211.