Jack Klass

Jack Edward Klass quietly slipped away in the early morning hours of September 8, 2024 at the age of 95, having lived a life that was anything but quiet. He was born at his grandparent’s home on June 17, 1929 in Thomasville, NC, the only child of Archie Wesley and Amy Alexander Klass. He may have been an only child, but he grew up surrounded by grandparents and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins on the Alexander homeplace in the Pilot School Road area of Thomasville. He graduated from Pilot School in 1947 and enlisted in the Navy where he served for 3 years on a submarine base in Pearl Harbor, HI.  Jack was a babysitter on the side for the admiral’s children, and the admiral had him discharged early from the Navy, unbeknownst to Jack, on what was the eve of the Korean War.  Jack received 1 of 5 fleet appointments to attend the US Naval Academy but turned it down so that he could return home to follow his dream to become a lawyer. He graduated from High Point College in 1953 and Wake Forest Law School in 1956.

In Jack’s own words, “The best thing that happened in my life was on April 20, 1952 I met Peggy Jane Briggs, a beautiful young lady from Beck’s Church Road in Lexington.” He married her in 1955 while in law school. After graduating law school he moved to Peggy’s hometown of Lexington, NC to begin his law practice. He would say that one of his greatest privileges was being mentored by Col. Wade Phillips. Jack was appointed as a county asst. solicitor in 1962 and as a county judge in 1964, serving in that position until 1970 when he went back into private practice for the next 25 years. In 1995 he was elected as a District Court Judge, and he continued as a judge until his retirement in 2009 at age 80.  During these years he held court in 90 of the 100 counties in NC, for which he was very proud.  He then worked as “counsel” for several years with the law firm of Brinkley Walser Stoner, sharing his years of experience and his humor with the younger attorneys there. As a judge, Jack was creative in doling out punishments, once requiring a man arrested for littering to pick up 500 beer cans strewn along the stretch of highway where he had thrown out one of his own. A lawyer once observed that Jack’s courtroom was the only one where handcuffed defendants were often led off to jail, laughing as they went. Jack represented some “colorful” clients, one of whom paid him with a live turkey tied to the front door each Thanksgiving.

Jack was raised in a strict Baptist household. In Lexington he joined Peggy’s church, Beck’s Lutheran, where he served as a Sunday school teacher, a reader, and on the Church Council. His blessings before a family meal were legendary.

Jack loved his family dearly. He is survived by his wife Peggy Jane and his 3 sons, Mark Elliott Klass (Dabney) and Todd Alexander Klass (Amy) of Greensboro, NC, and Hillary Briggs Klass (Camille) of Charleston, SC. He was a proud “Poppy” to 6 grandchildren, Taylor (Adam), Cameron, Julia, Ellie, Penn, and Dixon and 1 great-grandchild, Ella Ruth.

Jack was known for his sense of humor, his mastery of rhymes, and his ability to turn a phrase. You never quite knew what would come out of his mouth (especially as he gradually lost his filter). Jack never met a stranger and his home was always filled with laughter, and he passed both of these attributes on to his 3 sons. Jack was a character and surrounded himself with other characters, and Peggy just held on for the ride.

In 2019, Jack and Peggy moved from their longtime home in Lexington to Greensboro. Shortly thereafter Jack moved to memory care at Abbotswood in Greensboro where he maintained his happy, loving, jovial nature until the very end. He would tell you he loved you at least 10 times when you went to visit. He was one of a kind and will be dearly missed.

A memorial service will be held at Beck’s Lutheran Church in Lexington, NC on Saturday, September 21, 2024 at 2:00pm with a Celebration of Life to follow in the Fellowship Hall. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Jack’s memory to Beck’s Lutheran Church, 441 Beck’s Church Rd, Lexington, NC 27292 or to AuthoraCare Collective (formerly Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro), 2500 Summit Ave, Greensboro, NC 27405.