Obituary of George B. Kleindorfer

George "Ben" Kleindorfer, 85, died in State College, Pennsylvania on February 27, 2021. His passing from complications of dementia was peaceful, with his wife Linda and son Julian at his side. Ben grew up in North Judson, Indiana in a family with five children. His parents, George Benjamin Kleindorfer and Lucy Puehler Kleindorfer, were both teachers and farmers. Ben studied widely and loved manual work all his life. As a teen, he labored as a trackman on the Pennsylvania Railroad, then studied electrical engineering at Notre Dame on a scholarship. He also obtained degrees in law from Georgetown, in mathematics from Howard, and a PhD in Systems and Communications Sciences from Carnegie-Mellon. He worked in the US Patent Office and served as an ACLU defense attorney. He marched to protest the Vietnam War and for civil rights. He appeared before the House Committee on Un-American Activities. But primarily Ben devoted himself to teaching for 50 years, initially at Howard, then at the University of California at Berkeley and at Riverside, and lastly at Penn State.

Ben taught in the Smeal College of Business Administration at Penn State from 1973 until 2007. He earned multiple teaching awards. His courses and publications spanned electrical engineering, applied mathematics, business and information sciences, education, and ground breaking topics in the philosophy of science. Ben loved to read aloud philosophy, history, or poetry with other people, the more raucous and playful the discussion, the better. He designed a barn for the small family farm, and through the years, guided family and friends to build that barn, fence the property, bring in hay, and shepherd sundry creatures from pigs to horses, chickens and turkeys, sheep and the occasional beef calf to their various agricultural ends. He welded, practiced blacksmithing, kept bees, picked the banjo, and learned a smattering of Greek, Italian, and Latin which he loved to study with friends. He started piano late in life. Described by his teammates as "deceptively slow," Ben played noontime basketball for decades in Penn State's Rec Hall and enjoyed the action anywhere he could find a court and a pick- up game.

Ben made a practice of connecting with people from all different worlds and walks of life. A man with a zest for living, he was to the end fearless, a little wild, and always on the watch for a good laugh and a better story. Ben is survived by his wife Linda; sister, Jean; sons Bertrand (Patti) and Julian (Tina); step-daughter Stacy (John); grandchildren Max, Clara, Anna, Julia, Jack, and Eddie; nieces and nephews Sonia, Erin, Rebecca, Geoffrey, Christopher, Ruth, and Becky; and his first wife, Ann. He was preceded in death by his siblings, Paul, Mary, and Elizabeth and his niece Lucy. Ben donated his body to medical education.

A memorial service is planned for a later date. Donations in Ben's memory can be made to the Centre County Farmland Trust, (centrecountyfarmlandtrust.org), the YMCA of Centre County (https://www.ymcaofcentrecounty.org/support/donate/) or the Southern Poverty Law Center (splcenter.org).

Ben's family wishes to thank all the staff at Foxdale Village for their sensitive, tireless, all-encompassing care. They brought their hearts, always delivering even during this pandemic with love and grace.

To view a memorial tribute to Ben compiled of home movies, visit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3XvrkCovk8

Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com