Charlestown Town Council member Grace Klinger passed away suddenly over the weekend. The Council and community members made comments at Monday's Town Council meeting, honoring Grace Klinger, who served the town and larger community for many years. You can watch the comments at the start of the meeting here.
A formal proclamation in memory of Ms. Klinger will be made at a future Council meeting.
A mass will be held on Saturday, February 10th at 11:00 am at St. James Chapel, 2079 Matunuck School House Rd., Charlestown. Burial will take place at a later date in Rhode Island Veteran's Memorial Cemetery in Exeter.
Grace's obituary follows. Tribute comments may be left on the Avery-Storti website here.
Grace Frances Klinger, 79, of Charlestown, passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 20, 2024. She was born in Queens, New York to her loving parents, the late Thomas and Catherine (Callan) Hartigan. Grace was the beloved wife of Frederick H. Klinger for 52 years.
Grace was an active parishioner at St. Mary’s Church/St. James Chapel and a current member of the Charlestown Town Council. She was a Certified Master Gardner, former Chairperson of the Charlestown Conservation Commission, and former president of the Federated Garden Clubs of Coral Springs, Florida, Brookfield, Connecticut, and Westerly, Rhode Island. Grace was the owner of Yester-Year Antiques for over 40 years.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by her daughter, Suzanne Viens, her husband, Andrew, and her adoring grandchildren Riley, Reagan, and Rowan all of Dover, Massachusetts. She also leaves behind her cherished nephews, Brian, Dennis, Thomas, William, Kevin, and a niece, Maureen. She is predeceased by her parents and sisters, Maureen A. Hartigan, Anne P. Hartigan, and Catherine T. McNicholl.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, February 10, 2024, at 11:00 am in St. James Chapel, 2079 Matunuck School House Road, Charlestown, Rhode Island. Burial will take place at a later date in Rhode Island Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery in Exeter.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations in Grace’s memory to the Maureen A. Hartigan Scholarship Fund, St. John’s University, Office of Planned Gifts, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY 11439.
