Amanda DePerro
Part of the magic of Dublin is realizing that everyone has a unique, inspirational story. The person checking you out at the grocery store, the friendly face you see getting gas, the person who has the same weekly routine you do. To learn that story, you just have to ask.
When I first reached out to Judy Klare back in 2017 for an interview, our schedules didn’t align, but I promised her I wasn’t giving up. Then, when I reached out again for this edition of Dublin Life Magazine, she admitted she wasn’t sure there was anything to talk about.
“I would love to talk, but I can’t imagine what story I would have to share,” she told me.
To nobody’s surprise, Klare, a retired Dublin City Schools employee, breast cancer survivor and avid volunteer, has an incredible story – but more on that later.
Klare was born and raised in Cincinnati, then moved to Rome, New York, when her husband, Ken, was stationed through the U.S. Air Force. After his tenure in the Air Force, the Klares decided to move to Columbus so Ken could attend The Ohio State University. They moved around in Columbus before settling in Powell. However, when their children, Stephanie and Dustin, were born, the two-bedroom home wouldn’t cut it anymore.
Judy and Ken Klare with their daughter, Stephanie, and her family.
Klare, working a part-time job in Worthington, and Ken, now an urban designer with the City of Columbus, decided to find a home that fit their new family.
“We knew Muirfield had a lot of green space. … It was an established community with bike paths and a pool for the children,” says Klare. “We felt comfortable there. I liked the quaint village setting.”
And, at the time, a village is just what Dublin was. The Klares moved to Dublin in summer 1987, and later that year Dublin would attain cityhood. Stephanie started fourth grade and Dustin second grade at Deer Run Elementary School, and Klare decided to look for work closer to home.
" If you’re not enjoying your time in Dublin, you’re not looking hard enough.” - Judy Klare
She had quit her job in Worthington, but soon found something that was a perfect fit. Dustin’s teacher mentioned a job opening in the Dublin City School District, and Klare jumped on the opportunity.
“I went right away to the principal, reintroduced myself and expressed an interest,” Klare says. “He offered me a substitute secretary job, so I started in January ’88.”
She began working at Deer Run until 1994, when Willard Grizzell Middle School opened. She would split her time between the two schools before switching to full-time at Grizzell in 1999. In 2002, she was offered the administrative assistant to the superintendent position at central office; a title that, Klare jokes, “never fit on a business card.”
“I especially liked interacting with the little kids at the elementary school because they’re just so innocent and trusting. … If you helped them with something, they thought you were the best thing since mommy and daddy,” Klare says. “Then our family’s inside joke was that I never went to high school; I just skipped it and went on (to central office).”
Judy Klare is a member of the Knit Wits, and makes more than 100 hates each year for women living with cancer.
Soon enough, Ken would retire, and Klare began to hear the same expression over and over again: “You’ll know when it’s time to retire.”
“I thought, ‘What does that mean; you’ll know?’ But I did. It just kind of came on all of a sudden,” says Klare. “As much as I enjoy what I’m doing, I think I could enjoy not being at the office with the responsibilities and all that. I think I’m ready for the next stage of my life.”
Klare retired from the district in 2011, and she has enjoyed her retirement immensely. She spends much of her time volunteering, and mixes her hobby and volunteer work.
Klare was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 and counts herself lucky; she had a lumpectomy and radiation, and was cleared of the cancer without undergoing chemotherapy. A long-time cross-stitcher, Klare soon found a way to pay it forward for those who haven’t been so lucky: the Knit Wits.
The Knit Wits is a group who knits hats for people undergoing chemotherapy. The hats are donated to the City of Dublin, which distributes them for free.
“I’ve been part of that group for 10 years,” says Klare. “I love it, and I think, ‘Don’t ever hurt your hands; I want to be able to do this.’”
Klare set a goal for herself to make 100 hats a year, and she’s consistently hit that goal “for quite a while,” she says.
Outside of her work with the Knit Wits, Klare enjoys reading, visiting parks with Ken, and spending time with her children and grandchildren. Stephanie and her husband live in Texas and Dustin and his wife live in Colorado. Both couples have two children and, Klare says, “they’re all adorable.”
Klare and Ken still live in their Muirfield home and feel comfortable where they are. They volunteer at the Memorial Tournament every year, and Ken is involved with the Dublin Veterans Park. For now, Klare hopes she stays healthy and active to enjoy retirement to the fullest – right here in Dublin.
“Why would we leave what we know and what we’re comfortable with for what we might not find again?” says Klare. “With all the city has to offer – and that would include the schools and businesses – if you’re not enjoying your time in Dublin, you’re not looking hard enough.”
Amanda DePerro is an editor. Feedback welcome at adeperro@cityscenemediagroup.com.
