Raleigh Jane Hess Klein

May 25, 1944 - July 4, 2020

Raleigh Jane Hess Klein, known as Jane, 76, died on July 4, 2020 at Highland Hospital in Oakland, California due to complications from two strokes and seizures that struck her three weeks prior. Born in Ironton, Ohio on May 25, 1944, Jane’s family moved several times during her childhood as her father’s posts with the Boy Scouts of America changed, eventually bringing them to East Brunswick, New Jersey. There she attended the newly constructed high school and was salutatorian of its first graduating class. Her family’s many outdoor adventures provided the foundation for a lifelong fascination and appreciation of the beauty and complexity of the natural world. Hosting foreign exchange students, organizing for civil rights with her mother, and teachings from her church community shaped Jane’s values of inclusion and social justice. After high school, Jane attended Wooster College in Ohio and then transferred to the University of Rochester where she completed her Bachelors of Science in nursing in 1966. She went on to study nursing education at New York University where she completed her Master’s Degree in 1971. Jane’s career in nursing included time working as a registered nurse in pediatrics, intensive care, public health, and medical case management in hospitals in New York, Minnesota, and California. She also taught nursing at Hampton Institute in Virginia. While studying in Rochester, Jane met her future husband, Larry Klein. They were married in June 1969. Jane converted to Judaism prior to their wedding. They first lived together in the Bronx and then moved to Newport News, Virginia. The birth of their first child, Jonathan, in 1975 marked the start of their family. A daughter, Amy, followed in 1977. Soon after Amy was born they moved to Minnetonka, Minnesota. In 1982 their migration continued further west to Placentia, California shortly after the birth of their third child, Greg. In Placentia, Jane continued her work as a nurse, but was foremost a dedicated mother. She was active in all three of her children’s educations and activities, and was recognized for her leadership within the elementary school PTA, Cub Scouts, and Girl Scouts. With food, smiles, and conversation, she made the family home on Purdy Avenue an open and welcoming place for her children’s friends. Jane organized annual family trips back to the East Coast to keep in touch with the extended Hess and Klein families. Jane and Larry separated in 1994 and later divorced. Soon thereafter Jane began a second career as an early childhood educator for students with special needs — earning a teaching credential and second Master’s Degree from California State University Fullerton. In 1999, Jane was recognized as Teacher of the Year at Rorimer Elementary School within the Rowland Unified School District. After having guided her three children through B’nai Mitzvah experiences, Jane studied and celebrated her own Bat Mitzvah in 2004 at Temple Beth Tikvah in Fullerton, California. Jane moved to Oakland, California in 2007 after hearing that her first grandchild was on the way. She taught at Korematsu Discovery Academy in the Oakland Unified School District before retiring in 2010 to pursue grandmothering and volunteer activism. No children and grandchildren have ever been so fortunate as to have “Grandma Jane” living in their neighborhood and in their daily life — often wearing a holiday themed sweater or shades of purple — dispensing love, thrift store finds, and curated newspaper clippings to further their education and exploration of the world. Jane deeply respected children, believed in their dignity and capacity to understand the world around them, and found enormous joy in their play and learning. Her family will greatly miss her snuggly read-aloud stories and annual Hanukkah and Christmas dinners and gift exchanges. In her thirteen years in Oakland, Jane was an active volunteer, serving as Board Member and Education Committee Chair with the League of Women Voters Oakland, campaigning for educational equity with GO Public Schools, serving as Secretary of the California chapter of the International Association of Early Childhood Education, and creating the “Baby Neighbors” program which supported mothers new to this country in accessing support services and promoting the healthy social, emotional, and academic development of their children. For many years, she was a regular attendee at Oakland school board meetings. In 2018, Jane moved into Piedmont Gardens Independent Living Community where she enjoyed new friends and pursuits, but also continued her volunteer activities in the Oakland community. Predeceased by her parents James Alfred Hess and Catherine Rebecca Whitney (aka Kit Hess), her brother Perry Hess, and brother-in-law Nash Basom. Jane is survived by her brother Noel Hess of Ayer, MA; her sister Mariel Hess of Glover, VT; her sister-in-law Carol Hess of Jaffrey, NH; her three children and their families in Oakland, CA: son and daughter-in-law Jonathan and Amanda Klein and grandchildren Maya and Theodore; daughter and son-in-law Amy Klein Chojnacki and Joe Chojnacki and grandchildren Colette and Casper; and son and daughter-in-law Greg and Mariah Klein and grandchildren Cassandra, Tessa, and John; nieces and nephews: Reeve and Kit Basom, Jacob and Benjamin Strauss, and Ivy So; her ex-husband Lawrence Klein of Santa Ana, CA; and many, many extended family members and friends. Raleigh Jane Hess Klein leaves an enormous legacy of kindness and commitment to children, healthy democracy, and social justice. She was fiercely dedicated and loyal to her children, grandchildren, extended family and friends, and to her causes. She was often referred to by those who knew her as the “kindest person.” She wrote “love and thank you” and “love each other” repeatedly on a notepad and mouthed those words for the few days she was able to communicate during the hospitalization at the end of her life. In conversations with her care team during her last days, when asked what they could do to make her more comfortable, she often responded with an emphatic: “Vote. Vote for Biden.” In one of her last lucid Zoom conversations, she asked son Jonathan to read her Mary Oliver’s “In Blackwater Woods.” At the end of the poem, she held up three fingers and whispered, “Three things.” Here’s the portion of the poem she was emphasizing: “To live in this world you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go.” Jane’s family wishes to thank the staff at Piedmont Gardens and Highland Hospital for their support and care for their sister, mom, and grandmother during her final months and days. A celebration of Jane’s life will be held for family and community at a date to be determined. Memorial contributions may be made to those caring for children in our communities, supporting worthy causes near you (especially those promoting education and democracy like the Black Teacher Project https://www.blackteacherproject.org/ and Swing Left https://secure.actblue.com/donate/swingleft) and by your active participation and engagement with the 2020 elections. With Jane's passing, this fall’s Oakland school bond measure, California's “Schools and Communities First Act,” and the national campaign to elect Joe Biden have lost one of their most stalwart volunteers. Members of “Team Jane” can honor her legacy with their votes, donations, and engagement. To ensure the health and safety of our community, we are following all guidelines set by local, state and CDC officials. If you are planning on attending a service, please contact the funeral home in advance, so that we can plan accordingly.