Former East Rockaway Fire Chief Ken Klose dies

Former 56-year member of the East Rockaway Fire Department Ken Klose died in West St. Lucie, Florida on July 8 after an illness. He was 79.

Klose was with Liberty Hose Co. 2, where he served as captain in 1966, president from 1986 to 1988, and chief of the department from 1972 to 1973. He was made honorary commissioner in 2008.

Klose worked at the East Rockaway Post Office for 31 years, working his way up to assistant postmaster.

“He had a good sense of humor,” said his son, Bobby Klose, also a former chief of the fire department. “He was best known for a comic-strip T-shirt that everyone in the department wore when he was the head of the department that read, “That was ‘Klose’ chief!” Bobby Klose said that his father was very much into sports, having been a coach for Liberty Hose’s softball and baseball teams, as well as a founding member of the Liberty Hose golf outing that raises funds for student scholarships. He was also one of the original football coaches for The Raiders.

Klose graduated East Rockaway High School in 1951, and was a Korean War veteran. He married Ann Jones, of Bay Park, at St. Raymond’s Catholic Church in February, 1959 and they raised for children: Bobby (Barbara), Walter (Lisa), Ronald (Sandy) and Kristine.

The Kloses were members of the Hewlett Point Yacht Club and parishioners at St. Raymond. They moved to West St. Lucie, Florida in 2000.

Besides his wife and children, Klose is also survived by six grandchildren: Brian, Sara, Ryan, Jake, Liam and Julia.

Klose was buried in Florida on Friday, July 13. A firematic memorial service is planned in his hometown of East Rockaway for August 4 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Raymond’s Roman Catholic Church on Atlantic Avenue. The 1969 Mac Fire Truck (the one that Santa rides in on during the holidays) that he was instrumental in obtaining will be at the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Liberty Hose Company No. 2.

For more details call fire department headquarters at (516) 887-6340.