Obituary of Mary Joyce Klopack

Mary Joyce (“Mary Jo”) Klopack passed away peacefully on Monday, June 15, 2020. She was 84. Born in North Dakota on October 21, 1935, to Clara and Ole Berg, Mary Jo had one sibling, her older brother, Clayton, whom she adored. One of Mary Jo’s most dramatic early memories occurred when the family was living in California. On July 17, 1944, munitions being loaded onto a cargo vessel in Port Chicago exploded, killing over 320 sailors and civilians. The blast blew out the windows of the family home, leaving Clay and Mary bloodied and frightened. The young family relocated to Tamarack, Minnesota to take up farming with other kin. Mary Jo graduated from McGregor High School in 1953. Just eighteen years old, she left the farm to live and work in Minneapolis. At twenty-one, Mary Jo jumped at the opportunity to work as a civilian contractor in Okinawa, Japan. There she met a young Air Force officer, Bernard Klopack, who relentlessly pursued Mary Jo until she agreed to marry him. The wedding took place on June 24, 1961. Living in Coon Rapids, Scott Michael was born, quickly followed by Cheryl Ann. In 1967, Bernie’s job took the family to Plano, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. Two years later, Kevin Allen became the fifth member of the family. Mary Jo became a court reporter and eventually taught court reporting. With this background, Mary Jo became a trainer for Rockwell Collins where she spent many years in the Human Resources Department. Despite her success at Rockwell Collins, Mary Jo always felt a strong compulsion to get her degree. Thus, while working full time and raising a family, Mary Jo worked tirelessly for her bachelor’s degree in business from Dallas Baptist University in 1993, one of her proudest achievements. However, anyone who spent more than ten minutes with Mary Jo quickly learned her true passion – her family. She was totally devoted to her children, never missing a ball game or cheer event. Whenever possible, the family was boating on Lake Texoma where many memories were made. Every weekend of boating was capped off by root beer floats on the way home from the lake. The love of family was not limited just to the immediate family. Although separated by many miles, Mary Jo adored Clay and his incredible wife, Helen, and their amazing girls, Debbie, Pam, and Karen. Bernie’s amazing sister, Pat, always held a special place in Mary Jo’s heart, as did her brother-in-law, Marv. Mary Jo beamed at being “Aunt Mary” to her handsome nephew, Craig, and beautiful niece, Renee. Although preceded in death by her husband, Bernie, and youngest son, Kevin, Mary Jo was surrounded by family: Cheryl and her husband, Jeff, granddaughters Danielle and Krista, and great-granddaughters Clara and Abigail; Scott and his wife, Janice, grandsons Cody and Ryan as well as Ryan’s wife, Brianne; and many other family members and friends. Mary Jo will be greatly missed by those she loved so dearly.