Obituary of Cyrus Klingsberg

Cyrus Klingsberg, 99, of State College, died on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at Foxdale Village.

Born November 12, 1924, in Philadelphia, he was the son of the late Louis and Freida Klingsberg. On August 12, 1950, he married Vera Geraldine Ichelson, who preceded him in death on January 7, 2009. Along with his parents and wife, Cyrus was preceded in death by his brother Erwin Klingsberg.

He is survived by two nieces, Andi Christman of Oregon and her two daughters, Theresa of Alaska, and Sarah of Oregon; Jill Dewitt and her daughters Liana and Casey Young, all of Idaho.

After high school, Cyrus served as a Corporal in the United State Army during WWII from 1942 until 1945. He was a combat medic and felt lucky to have survived the Battle of the Bulge. He received a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1948, a master's degree in geology from Bryn Mawr College in 1949 and a Ph.D. in geochemistry from Pennsylvania State University in 1958.

After a long and extensive career, Cyrus retired in 1987 as a Geologist for the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, DC.

Cy's love affair with the cello began as a young man and he practiced 2 hours after work most days. He studied for many years and played with the Nittany Valley Symphony, but his true passion was the chamber music repertoire. He most enjoyed playing in string quartets with his cello accompanied by his dear friend, Avis Jones on the viola. He has donated his beloved old English cello to the music department at Penn State.

Cyrus was very philanthropic with several local and national organizations. Vera had sparked what was to become a lifelong passion for birding and nature. He was instrumental in the building of the Klingsberg Aviary at Shavers Creek, along with the ADA accessible nature trails at the Wildlife for Everyone's Soaring Eagle Wetlands and the nationally recognized ADA accessible Silhouette trail at Hawk Mountain. He provided funding for several Native American scholarships and for the Yiddish Book Center.

A celebration concert for Cyrus with cellist Kim Cook will be 1at 1 p.m., on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 at Foxdale Village . 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, 3400 Discovery Road, Petersburg, PA  16669. 

Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com or visit us on Facebook.