Obituary:
Darlene Lynch Klein
June 22, 1944 ~ October 21, 2023 79 Years Old
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Obituary
Darlene Lynch Klein, 79, a devoted wife and mother known for her sense of humor, loyalty to friends and family, and exacting opinions, died unexpectedly at home in Ithaca on Oct. 21, 2023.
Darlene was born June 22, 1944 in Niagara Falls, NY, to William (Bill) H. Lynch and Jean Lynch Branigan. The oldest of Bill and Jean’s six children, Darlene grew up in Ithaca and graduated from Ithaca High School in 1962. After attending Missouri Valley College and the University of Vermont, Darlene returned to Ithaca and fell in love with Cornell architecture student David L. Klein. They married in 1969.
Shortly after marrying, Darlene and David acquired their first Afghan hound which started a lifelong hobby of showing and breeding show dogs. A lifetime member of the Finger Lakes Kennel Club, she showed Afghans and later greyhounds, winning Best of Breed with her greyhound at Westminster in 2007.
Darlene enjoyed many activities and passions. She put her knack for sewing and beading to good use as the designer of figure skating costumes for her daughter, and as a costumer for several plays at Elmira College. She loved genealogy, thoroughly researching both sides of her family tree and often excitedly sharing the interesting family history she discovered. She could read a book a day, and generously shared her Barnes and Noble collection with friends. And she volunteered extensively.
Over the years, Darlene had been a highly successful fundraiser for Lakeview Cemetery, an advisory board member of the Cornell Baker Institute, newsletter editor for the Greyhound Club of America, show chair of the Salt City Dog Shows in Syracuse, and co-
chair of the Class of 1962 reunion committee.
But her greatest passion in life was being mom to Bridget and Casey and grandma to Caroline and Katherine. Darlene spent many hours on the road traveling to her kids’ figure skating competitions, dance competitions, ski races, and hockey games, and in more recent years, doting on her granddaughters and proudly keeping up with their many activities from volleyball and dance to flute and piano.
Her parents predeceased her, as did her sisters Teri-Anne Nindl and Betsey Napier, brother William (Bill) H. Lynch II and infant brother Jeffrey Lynch. She is survived by her husband David, Ithaca; her daughter Bridget (Tim) Curry, Stamford, CT; son Casey Klein, Washington, DC; granddaughters Caroline Curry and Katherine Curry, Stamford, CT; brother Timothy Lynch, Orlando, FL; sister Hunter Lynch; sister-in-law Roberta Klein, San Diego, CA; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins whom she loved dearly.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Darlene’s memory can be made to the AKC Humane Fund
(
https://akchumanefund.org/) or the American Heart Association (
https://www.heart.org/). Friends may call from 3-4 pm on Sunday, October 29th at Bangs Funeral Home, 209 W. Green Street, Ithaca, NY. A memorial service will be held on Monday, October 30th at 11 am at the Funeral Home with Steve Lawrence officiating. Burial will follow at East Lawn Cemetery.