Samuel H. Klebanoff

SAMUEL KLEBANOFF died quietly at his home in Richmond, CA, on November 6, 2014, after several years of declining health. Sam was born in 1923 into a tight-knit community of Jewish immigrants who raised chickens in Petaluma. His parents had come from Belarus. After high school, he began classes at UC Berkeley in the fall of 1941. When the war broke out soon after, he enrolled in the Oriental Language department as it geared up to teach Japanese. When inducted into the army he was sent to the intensive Japanese language School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. A second lieutenant, he was stationed in Tokyo during the occupation translating Japanese war materials. Upon returning to Sonoma County after his military service, he worked for the county Welfare Department for several years, and then took a similar job in Contra Costa County. There he met and married Helen Goodman. They settled in Richmond and raised two children, Aaron and Sarah. Sam went on to clerk for a judge on the Superior Court in Martinez before becoming the Assistant County Recorder until he retired. Sam was known to friends and family as kind, thoughtful, generous and loyal. He was a responsible and hard-working husband and father and was well-liked by many. He was known for his droll and sometimes acerbic wit. He liked good food, good company, classical music, and art. He was an avid and talented gardener. Educated and well read, he was an excellent conversationalist who could tell good stories, both funny and sad. He will be terribly missed. A Graveside Service was held on Monday, November 10, 2014 at B'nai Israel Cemetery, Petaluma. Family assisted by PARENT-SORENSEN MORTUARY, Petaluma.