Obituary

Carmen Mae Klock. March 22, 1936 – April 27, 2026

Carmen Mae Klock, aged 90, passed away peacefully on April 27, 2026. Born in York, Pennsylvania on March 22, 1936, Carmen was the cherished daughter of Hiram and Cornella Maile Groff. The family soon moved to Hershey, Pennsylvania where Carmen would grow up surrounded by the sweet allure of her hometown. Following the death of Cornella in 1945, Carmen and her younger brother Kenneth were blessed to be raised by her stepmother Elsie Daniels Groff. Her youngest brother John (Carol) completed this loving family.

Carmen’s early education in Hershey’s superior schools laid a strong foundation for her lifelong love of learning. She graduated from Hershey Junior College in 1956 and later pursued a Bachelor of Science at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan all while raising a loving family.

Her career began in high school with roles at the Hershey department store, Hershey Entertainment Park and Hershey Corporation. She briefly worked as a secretary at Schenley Industries in New York City before embracing her true calling as a homemaker.

In 1956, Carmen married James Klock marking the beginning of a 69 year journey filled with love, laughter and the joy of raising three daughters: Karen (Jim), Lauri (Frank) and Valerie.

Carmen reveled in the rich cultural tapestry of her youth dancing to Glenn Miller’s Band at the Hershey Ballroom and ice skating in the Arena, home of the Hershey Bears. A memorable highlight was her role as an usher for Oscar Hammerstein’s visit to the Hershey Theater for the pre-Broadway performance of “South Pacific”.

Jim’s career with Ford’s International Operations took the family to Peru and Singapore, (3 years each), enriching their lives with new cultures and languages. These travels also allowed them to explore many countries across South and Central America and Southeast Asia.

Carmen relished her role as a homemaker and took great joy in entertaining guests. She became a gourmet chef to the delight of her family. Her food was thoroughly enjoyed at both family dinners and gatherings of friends. Carmen was very creative and loved to decorate particularly at the Holidays. She studied Japanese flower arranging while in Singapore and created beautiful flower arrangements. Her table decorations were amazing. She also had a passion for music. In high school she played the French horn. She joined the hand bell choir at Kirk in the Hills and played bells for several years.

Carmen was an enthusiastic bridge player. She played twice a week with friends from the Women of Bloomfield for many years. Additionally, she and Jim played bridge monthly with neighborhood friends taking turns hosting.

Carmen Mae Klock’s legacy is one of unwavering love, dedication to family and the simple pleasures of life. She was so very proud of all of her grandchildren: Sean (Rachel) Click, Daniel Oakes, Jennifer (Ankur) Amlani, Nicholas Click and her great granddaughter Arya Amlani. She is preceded in death by her parents Hiram, Cornella and Elsie along with her brother Ken and his wife Phyllis Groff. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered by all who knew her.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, June 27 at Kirk in the Hills Church, 1340 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302. The memorial Service will be streamed live at: https://kirkinthehills.org. Click the “Worship from Home” button and then press the “Past Messages” button.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to:

Kirk In the Hills Church

Attn: Stacey Rolf

In memory of Carmen Klock

1340 W. Long Lake Rd., Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302

- OR –

Angela Hospice

In memory of: Carmen Klock

14100 Newburgh Rd.

Livonia, MI 48154

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Donations may be made to a charity of your choice.