Robert Kleffel, a beloved member of the Lakeside community, passed away on April 4 at the age of 78.
A native of Los Angeles, California, Kleffel attended UCLA, where he graduated with a degree in business. Until 1980 he lived in Santa Monica, where he taught business courses at Santa Monica High School. Students at the school occasionally asked him for his autograph because he was the stand-in for Clint Walker in the popular television series, “Cheyenne.”
After earning his Master of Science degree in finance from UCLA he became an instructor of economics and finance there. He also worked for the Beverly Hills National Bank as Director of Research and was a Planning Commissioner and Chairman Pro Tem for the City of Santa Monica. And he still found time to sing in musical presentations alongside celebrities such as Jane Russell, Harve Presnell and Connie Stevens.
In 1980, Kleffel and his wife Bonnie moved to Olivenhain, California where they founded Business Economic Services Inc., providing real estate research, financial feasibility studies and maquiladora operations. At the same time he was a trustee on the board of Mira Costa College for six years and Vice President of Mainly Mozart, the leading classical music celebration in the San Diego/Baja California area.
Kleffel had always been fascinated by Mexico and in 2000 he and Bonnie moved here permanently. He quickly integrated himself into the local culture and the local communities around Lake Chapala. Almost immediately, he became a force for education in the Lakeside area, developing many educational programs and helping to provide financing and other resources for many scholastic programs and institutions. Particularly significant was his role in the founding of Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Chapala (where the new auditorium is named in his honor).
Those institutions he helped to raise funds for include the Little Blue School in Chapala, the kindergarten in Atotoniquillo, CONALEP, the Wilkes Education Computer Center in Ajijic, and the Instituto Tecnológico.
Kleffel taught English literature at Instituto Loyola. He taught English at CONALEP, Instituto Tecnológico, Hacienda Federal, DIF in San Antonio, the municipality of Chapala, to doctors of Centro de Salud and to many other students and professionals, often free of charge.
Kleffel also served on the board of the Association for Sciences and Humanities and on the Arts and Culture Board for the municipality of Chapala which oversees the education needs of approximately 10,000 district students. Robert and Bonnie developed an education scholarship program which was able to send many students through school with expenses paid.
He was also active in the writers community at Lakeside. He often amazed his audiences by presenting his heart-filled stories solely from memory. He regularly wrote for area publications, including Lake Chapala Review, El Ojo del Lago, and the website MexConnect.
Kleffel is survived by his loving wife of 32 years, Bonnie, and by his son Mark and his adopted daughters Karol Ramos (and husband Rommel Cedano), Iris Ledezma and Laura Ortiz and his grandsons Casey and Jose.
A memorial service will be held at the Robert Kleffel Auditorium at the Instituto Tecnológico Superior on the Libramiento at noon on Sunday, April 28.