Philip Juneau Klein

Philip Klein set out on his final adventure December 1, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of love, laughter, quirkiness, and wonderful memories. He and his surviving wife of 63 years, Barbara, created four children, Becky, Beth, Todd and Jenny, who multiplied into eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Never one to settle for following the rules, Phil lived his life on his own terms. Although successful in his 40+ year career, Phil didn’t place value in material things. Indeed, it could be said that the favorite of his hobbies, which included golf, refinishing old furniture, hiking and camping, was the never-ending hunt for a great bargain. Phil often said that you should only buy two things new … toilet paper and food … and even the food bit had its gray areas.
Phil found his joy in helping others and solving problems, even if they occasionally were problems that only he thought to be problematic. A graduate of DePaul University, his problem-solving skills took him on a tour of the Midwest working in the insurance industry. He ultimately landed in Texas in 1975, where he and two of his good friends, the three of them affectionately known as the “Michigan Mafia”, started a little company in Fort Worth called Gainsco, Inc. Phil eventually segued away from the company side of insurance, and ended his long career as an MGA with Specialty Insurance Managers, Inc. His problem-solving skills shone brightest when he applied them to family, friends, and even complete strangers. Whether it was rigging up a pulley system to a vintage sled motor in order to haul a 600-pound sofa bed up a set of 21 steep and narrow stairs for his daughter, passionately discussing politics with his friends from the other side of the aisle, or driving a stranger over 50 miles to get him to his court date on time (while on a family vacation), he was always there to try to solve the world’s problems. He never stopped trying to emulate his hero, Harry S. Truman, firmly believing in “the buck stops here”. Integrity and being willing to take responsibility for one’s decisions, no matter the outcome, were his guiding principles, reminding his children and grandchildren often over the years, “do what you say you are going to do – that’s enough”. And though “you can’t get to heaven on roller skates”, we know that Phil is up there with skates on anyway, breaking the rules, golfing, reveling in the bargain hunt, and probably singing around a campfire. A memorial will be set for the Spring of 2026. In the meantime, if you would like to honor Phil’s memory, help a stranger today and don’t tell anyone about it.