Obituary of Craig Paul Kloss

Craig Paul Kloss, 59, most recently of Independence, KY, passed away on September 23, 2024 at home in the presence of his family. He was born to Raymond Kloss and Ann [Hillock] Kloss on December 30, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois.

Craig spent many years in the construction industry in Chicago. He was a key member of the construction teams that completed the Trump Tower project, as well as the Legacy at Millenium Park and the Heritage at Millenium Park projects on Michigan Avenue. He also worked on Navy Pier, McCormick Place Convention Center, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and O’Hare International Airport, among many other large projects in the Chicago area. Craig was a member of Sheet Metal Workers Local 73 in Chicago.

Craig actively supported many activities for children and youth. He was a founding member of the Charter School of the Dunes in Gary, Indiana. He served as an Assistant Scoutmaster for a Boy Scout troop in Iowa City, Iowa and as a volunteer commissioner for the Hawkeye Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He was Scoutmaster for a troop at Our Lady Immaculate Church in Oak Park, Illinois.

Craig’s special interest was youth sports. In addition to coaching soccer in Miller Beach, Indiana, he coached baseball for several years in a local league in Elmwood Park, Illinois. He provided opportunities for his son, Aaron, and his foster son, Elliott, to attend advanced training for baseball. As a coach, Craig treated all his players equally, no matter their skill level. He taught the skills Aaron and Elliott learned in their training to every player on his teams. When he moved his family to Kentucky, Craig contributed to producing several winning teams for Assumption Academy in Walton.

Craig had a lifelong interest in gardening. He served as president of the Miller Beach, Indiana garden club. He tended his mother Ann’s rose garden in Evans, Georgia and planted his own rose garden, as well as hundreds of tulips and daffodils, at his home in Independence, Kentucky. Craig loved spending time on the beach. He lived in Port St. Lucie, Florida, on the Atlantic coast, when he was a teenager. In Miller Beach, Indiana, Craig and his family lived for many years on the shore of Lake Michigan. Beach time and swimming in the lake were part of daily life. He and his family traveled to many Caribbean islands. In his last few years, his favorite place was Cocoa Beach, Florida, where he spent many days on the beach with family and friends.

Craig was well known for his dry and very witty humor. He could immediately turn any statement about any subject into something funny. Identifying the humor in everyday life was one of Craig’s gifts. You never knew when he would see or hear something to laugh about, right into the last hours of his life. Craig’s faith was central to his life. Together with his wife Betsy, he fully participated in the community and religious life of St. Wenceslaus Church in Iowa City, Iowa; Our Lady Immaculate Church in Oak Park, Illinois; and Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Walton, Kentucky. His faith supported him through his long illness. In all his relationships, Craig lived his faith. He always put the needs of family and friends above his own. He guided and supported his daughter, Audrey, toward a career in nursing. He faithfully helped care for his father, Raymond, as Raymond aged.

Craig was active in the Northern Kentucky chapter of the ALS Association. He was a member of several ALS support groups. He spoke to a U.S. Senate committee about the need to support research for causes and cures for ALS. Each year he participated in fundraising for the Walk to Defeat ALS.

Craig is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Kloss; his children, Audrey Kloss and Aaron Kloss; his foster son, Elliott Kloss-Coontz; his sisters Carol (Chris Munger) Kloss and Ellen (Roman) Dziaba; and his brother Steve (Lavern Baker) Kloss. He was preceded in death by his father and mother, and his brother, Robert (Barbara Anicki) Kloss.

Visitation will be held on Friday, September 27, 2024 at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, 11382 Madison Pike, Independence, Kentucky, from 6:00 PM until 9:00 PM. At 6:30 PM, a Rosary Service will be held at the funeral home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Our Lady of the Assumption, 472 Beaver Road, Walton, Kentucky on Saturday, September 28, 2024 at 10:00 AM. Directly following the Funeral Mass, the Rite Of Committal will be celebrated at Mother Of God Cemetery, 3125 Madison Ave, Latonia, Kentucky, 41015.

Memorial donations may be made to Assumption Academy Boys’ School Building Campaign online at boysacademy.org and to the ALS Association of Northern Kentucky online at als.org. To purchase flowers for services or to leave a message of condolence to the family online, please visit the Tribute Wall on this page.