Posted to the SFWA blog
I was a little kid when I first met Phil Klass, and he’s been a figure in my life for almost as long as I can remember.His daughter Adina babysat me a few times and I remember going with others to his house and just visiting and listening to him talk. Even at a young age I thought he was funny,friendly and incredibly smart, though he never made you feel lost in a conversation. Although he would sometimes go off on tangents it was endless fascinating to listen to him talk about whatever topic he’d picked.
I remember when I was in high school he was giving a talk to some students and my dad got me out of school to take me, I was so excited even though no one in my class had the faintest idea who he was.
When my fiancee Jon first moved to Pittsburgh 5 years ago, and attending his first Christmas party, Phil wasted no time in talking to him and making him feel welcome and never forgot Jon’s name and made a point of saying hello every time he saw him after that. Jon mentioned how much he enjoyed talking to Phil after every party and always left with a laugh and a smile.
He will be greatly missed and I feel sorry for those who never got to meet him in person as he was an amazing man, unique and there will never be another one like him.