George Kluzak

George Jerome Kluzak, age 75, of Lake Crystal MN, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family on Friday, June 5, 2020 after an eight year battle with acute myeloid leukemia.

A private family service will be held at Holy Family Catholic Church in Lake Crystal, MN with Fr. Tim Reker officiating.  George will be laid to rest at Holy Family cemetery. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a celebration of George’s life will be held at a future date.

George was born to Clarence and Lydia Kluzak in Bemidji, MN on Jan 28, 1945.  He graduated from St. Johns Preparatory School Collegeville, MN in 1964.  He was a monastic candidate at St. Johns Abbey from 1964-1966.  He joined the military and proudly served in the U.S. Navy for 4 years as a computer device trainer.  He attended Rollings College in Orlando, FL.  After an honorable discharge, he attended Bemidji State where he met his wife Nadine, and earned his B.S. in Industrial Technology for Commercial Design and Technical Illustration.  George and Nadine were united in marriage on June 16, 1973 in Detroit Lakes, MN.  In his junior year he did internships at Rowell Laboratories (pharmaceutical manufacturing) and his senior year at Mankato Corporation.  Upon college graduation, he was hired to set up the Design Department and became Manager of Design and Development at Mankato Corporation which became Perfecseal Mankato.  He was a guest speaker on Industrial Design at Bemidji State, Mankato State, Stout State (Menomonie, WI), and South Central Technical College.  He won multiple NPBA awards for graphic and structural design, and held patents.  He was also a Junior Achievement business advisor, was on the Junior Achievement board of directors, and was an advertising consultant and contract designer.  He belonged to multiple professional organizations and won numerous awards. 

His passions were spending time with family, fishing, camping,making wine, and stained glass window repair and construction.  He loved family and family history, and called his grandchildren his treasures.  George was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church. Over the years, he was President of the Parish Council, Cemetery Trustee, religious education teacher, confirmation teacher, choir member, Eucharistic minister, Extended Eucharistic minister, usher, and served on many committees including Respect For Life.  He also helped make Irish soda bread for 15+ years for the St. Patrick’s Day festival.

George is survived by his wife of 47 years, Nadine (Thorpe) Kluzak; son, Ivan (Colleen) Kluzak, and granddaughters, Seanna, Keely, and Callista; daughter, Nicole (Matthew) Szybnski, and grandsons, Charles and Benjamin; son, Michael (Elizabeth) Kluzak, and grandson, Theodore; brother, Stan (Pat) Kluzak; sister, Lorraine (Rodney) Lubiani; sister, Dorothy (Guy) Lynn; sister, Mary (Bob) Hanley; sister, Elizabeth (Tony) Zaharioudakis; sisters-in-law, Kathy Kluzak and Annette Kluzak; and many other family and friends.  George was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Lydia; parents in-law, Clifton and Eileen Thorpe; brother, David Kluzak; sister-in-law, Jennifer Trebesch; brothers-in-law, Randy Affield, William Steele, and Chuck Rhoades.

The family of George wishes to extend our sincere and heartfelt thanks to the numerous doctors, nurses, and supporting staff at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and Mankato over the past eight years; everyone at the Gift of Life House in Rochester, MN; the Mankato Hospice; and to Stan Kluzak, George’s brother and stem cell donor.