Esther Klemp
July 17th, 1933 - Tuesday, August 18th, 2020
Esther Klemp passed away on August 18 with family by her side. She was predeceased by her husband, John Klemp in 1997, her sister, Marion Terris, in 2013, and her brother, Tom Hulland, in 2018, and is survived by her sister, Ruth Daw of Lethbridge. Already missing Esther are her daughters, Karen Klemp and Christine Chambers (Graham). She is also survived by her four loving grandchildren Sarah Edwards (James), Alex Lysakowski, and Kelsey and Chloe Chambers.
Esther was a graduate of the VGH Nursing School class of ’54. She worked in B.C. and Calgary, most recently at the Rockyview Hospital from 1980-88. She then retired to help John launch The Wine Shop, one of the two first privately owned wine shops in Alberta. They traveled the world in search of great wines and made great friends. Nursing was a true vocation for Esther, who continued to care for friends and family in many ways.
Always active, Esther especially loved her fitness classes and her bike. She belonged to the Elbow Valley Cycle Club, where she cycled until her 80th summer. She was an amazing hands-on grandma and cherished her time with each grandchild. With John, she loved live Stampeders games and more recently became a Flames fan. Esther and John were very active with the Downtown Rotary Club of Calgary, and Esther served as the Rotary Ann President for several years. She loved pouring beer at the big corporate parties and watching the fun while raising money for the Club. Her church home was St. Andrew’s Presbyterian where she attended and served for decades. She reconnected with St. Andrew’s last spring through their wonderful Side by Side ministry. Esther played bridge for 50+ years with some SW neighbours who saw each other through thick and thin.
Esther had a sometimes wicked sense of humour and continued to bring joy to many even as she reached the end of her journey. She moved to the Providence Care Centre in December of 2019, and we would like to thank the staff for their wonderful care and compassion. Esther was a fiercely loyal friend, boundlessly energetic, resourceful, accommodating, and generous. She was a force of nature wrapped in a fluffy blanket of love and good deeds.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the
Providence Care Centre through Father Lacombe Care Fund.
To view and share photos, condolences and stories of Esther please visit www.choicememorial.com. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Choice Memorial Cremation & Funeral Services (403) 277-7343.