Maida Cecille Klenner

December 14, 1943 - April 25, 2019

Surrounded by her family, our Sweet and Loving mother, Maida Cecille Allen Klenner left this mortal coil on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Maida was born on December 14, 1943 in Puritan Mines, Delbarton, Mingo County, West Virginia. She was the daughter of the late Maj. Roy C. Allen, Retired of Alexandria, VA and Ada May Preece of Arlington, VA. Maida’s elementary years began in Asmara, Eritrea where her love of reading took root; it wasn’t unusual to see her engrossed in a book, at any age. Reading paved the way for her own creative writing, to include fiction and poetry. Maida was an extraordinary cook and reveled in preparing the harvest from her garden into delicious meals. She was an avid animal lover and owned numerous dogs and cats over her lifetime. She was a people person and never met a stranger. Maida met the love of her life, Ferdinand (Fred) Klenner from Duisburg, Germany in Arlington, VA and they were wed in 1962. They had two children - a son, Thomas Ferdinand, and a daughter, Kristy Lynn. Their marriage ended with Fred’s untimely death from brain cancer, in 1970. As a single mother, Maida established a successful career as a Management Analyst with the Department of the Army and spent the majority of her working years at the Hoffman building in Alexandria, VA where she made several long-lasting friendships. Maida retired in 1994 and relocated to Beckley, WV a few years later. She returned to Northern Virginia in January 2019, to reside with her daughter Kristy. Maida struggled with vascular dementia for ten years, and was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer, three weeks before her death. The family would like to thank Alicia Sandoval Birrueta of Woodbridge, VA for her professional and consistent loving care of Maida. We also deeply appreciate the staff at Open Door Church of God in Jesus Christ, for the kindnesses given to Maida and family, while she was in residence at their Elder Care facility in Triangle, VA. Maida Cecille Allen Klenner was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt and friend. Her many family members and friends deeply grieve her passing. In addition to her children, Maida is survived by her grandsons - Andrew Chase, Joshua Klenner, and Jesse Klenner, who deeply mourn the loss of their beloved “MayMay”. Her siblings are sisters Victoria Allen (John) Scott of McLean, VA, and Melinda Allen (Ernest) Grimes of Woodbridge, VA; and brothers John W. Preece of Delbarton, WV, Roy C. (Janet) Allen, Jr. of Carlsbad, CA, and George W. (Alesa) Allen of Arlington, VA. Additional family members are nieces Jennifer Cerda of Falls Church, VA, and Lana Allen of Arlington VA; nephews Lee & James Cremeans of Lake Ridge, VA, Michael (Emily) & George Cremeans of Manassas, VA, Matthew Cremeans of Greensville, TX, Zachary & Samuel Allen of Utah, Bradley (Susan) Preece of Delbarton, WV, and Braydan Preece of Delbarton, WV. Dates for an official Memorial service and inurnment are currently pending for Arlington National Cemetery and will be announced as soon as details are available. In lieu of flowers or gifts to the family, please offer a donation in Maida’s memory, to any of the charities listed below: Cancer Research Institute: www.cancerresearch.org American Lung Association: www.lung.org Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital: https://www.stjude.org/ Last Chance for Animals: https://www.lcanimal.org/