Klaus Saegebarth
Klaus Saegebarth, 85, formerly of Sanibel Island, Fla. and Wilmington, Del., passed away on April 16, 2014 at the Shellpoint Retirement Community in Fort Myers, Fla.
Klaus was a retired vice president of Research and Development in Textile Fibers at the E.I. duPont de Nemours Company, where he worked from 1957 to 1992. Born Jan. 5, 1929 in Berlin, Germany, Klaus grew up in Berkeley, Calif. He studied at the University of California-Berkeley, receiving a B.S. in Chemistry in 1950 and at the University of Washington earning a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry in 1957.
Klaus and his wife discovered Sanibel in the late 1970s and quickly established a second home there. In 2007, they moved there full-time. Klaus enjoyed walking on the beach, shelling, and was an avid bird watcher. He was also an active member of his church.
He is survived by his wife of almost 61 years, Mary Ann; his three children, Eric and his wife Libby of Apopka, Fla., Kathy and her husband, Steven Batson of Acton, Mass., and Meg and her husband, Steve Kayman of New York City; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
A memorial will be held at the Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ on 2050 Periwinkle Way on Saturday, May 3 at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Klaus and Mary Ann Saegebarth Endowed Professorship at the University of Washington. Checks should be made out to the University of Washington Foundation, P.O. Box 359505, Seattle, Wash., 98195-9505.