Obituary: Donald W. Klick, 84, of Vienna

Donald W. Klick, 84, of Vienna, Virginia, died Nov. 18 at Virginia Hospital Center.

He was born in Hebron, North Dakota, in 1929 to parents Walter G. and Irene M. (Radl). He attended the University of North Dakota for two years, received his congressional appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1949, and graduated with distinction in 1953. Upon graduation from the Naval Academy, he was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force, and went on to earn a master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana in 1956.

He served in the U.S. Air Force for 21 years, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1974. He was assigned to base civil engineering duties in Ohio, Michigan, Iceland, Massachusetts, South Viet Nam, and Missouri. He was assigned to geological and geophysical research duties in Massachusetts, Greenland, Alaska, Canada, Missouri, California, and Washington, DC. His decorations included the Commendation Medal while at the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories in Massachusetts, the Bronze Star while in Southeast Asia, and the Legion of Merit while at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research in Washington, DC, among other honors.

After retiring from the military, he worked for the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, Virginia, for 20 years in the research fields of geothermal energy, volcano hazards, and scientific drilling.

He and his wife of 50 years, Barbara (Krueger), were residents of Vienna since 1976 and of Fairfax from 1970-1976.

Survivors include his wife, Barbara; son, Paul Klick, and daughter-in-law, Christina Klick; daughter, Karen Reifenberger, and son-in-law, Bill Reifenberger; grandchildren Hannah, Adam, and Ava Klick, and William and Luke Reifenberger.

Family will receive friends Thursday from 6-8 p.m. at Money & King, 171 W. Maple Ave. in Vienna. A funeral mass will be held on Friday at 11 a.m. at the chapel at Our Lady of Good Counsel, 8601 Wolftrap Rd. in Vienna. Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, pleases make donations to the following organizations: Hebron Community Foundation, PO Box 387, Bismarck, ND 58502; Wounded Warrior Project,www.woundedwarriorproject.org; or Committee for Helping Others (CHO), PO Box 233, Vienna, VA 22183.