Zsuzsa Klinghammer, Wolf Park founder Erich Klinghammer’s first wife, passed away this week. Zsuzsa was the Treasurer for Wolf Park (aka North American Wildlife Park Foundation back then) and sometimes filled in as Secretary on the board. She also helped in the Visitor’s Center, talking to visitors and providing hospitality. She did this for years, even when she had an established law practice.
Though her role with the wolves was not as hands-on as some, she was an awfully good sport about things like having a wolf receive a medicated bath in the Klinghammer’s only bathroom, loaning us her hairdryer to blow the wolf dry after her bath, and provided a chenille bed spread to wrap the still slightly damp wolf in for transport to another building afterward. She had a way of stretching the Park’s money that sometimes seemed on a par with spinning straw into gold.
In addition to her work at Wolf Park, Zsuzsa also used her knowledge of real estate to help a number of young people get their first houses.
The courage with which she faced her final illness has been an inspiration to those of us who knew her.
