Richard Klawiter

Model train enthusiast, Seinfeld fan and lifelong dedicated educator Richard “Dick” Klawiter, 80, died on December 8, 2025. A resident of Verona and formerly of Platteville, Dick died from complications of Parkinson’s.

Dick was born in Eau Claire, WI, on February 10, 1945, to Kenneth and Phyllis Klawiter. Dick had a strong work ethic from the start, and worked many jobs including at a paper mill, gas station and driving a school bus. Graduating from Eau Claire North High School, he went on to attend UW-Eau Claire and graduated with a degree in secondary education/economics. Dick married Anne Krogstad in Eau Claire on August 20, 1965, and taught in the Osseo-Fairchild School District before moving to Missouri to earn his Master’s of Science in Education degree at Central Missouri State College.

Dick began his career at UW-Platteville in 1972, teaching in the Industrial Studies Department. He also enjoyed working with the Extended Degree program, which started as a print-based distance education program. Dick later served as Assistant Dean and Chair of the Industrial Studies Department in the College of BILSA before retiring in 2007. Unable to stay away from campus, Dick continued to volunteer for the UW-Platteville Foundation until 2021, where he helped with recruiting and career fairs. The UW-Platteville community was truly his second family.

Dick held many professional memberships including the American Society of Safety Engineers, Wisconsin School Safety Coordinators Association, and the Wisconsin Safety Council, who awarded him the Safety Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. He also served on the board of directors of the Platteville Public Library for many years.

Dick lived a full life with great friends, family, and hobbies. He was a train enthusiast who found joy in the simple pleasure of watching trains pass through places like East Dubuque, connecting with a network of railroad friends up and down the Mississippi River to catch just the right moment. His love of trains also took him often to places like Rochelle, IL, Omaha, NE, and Cheyenne, WY. Dick had a helper's heart and showed his love for family through action, always arriving ready to pitch in with whatever was needed. He showed up fully for whatever mattered to them because being present for the people he loved was what mattered to him.

Dick is survived by his children, Mark (Karis) Klawiter of Verona, Elizabeth (AJ) Ihm of Buford, GA, Alison (Jonathan) Klein of Verona, grandchildren Sidney, Reagan, Jack (Jadyn), Remy, Bradley, Jackson, Lauren and Parker, and a sister Sylvia (Larry) Kurowski of Platteville and a sister Cindy (Marlin) DeGarmo of La Crosse.

A gathering to honor Dick will be held on Thursday, January 15, from 3-5 p.m. in Velzy Commons in Ullsvik Hall on the UW-Platteville campus. In lieu of flowers, the family invites those who wish to honor Dick’s memory to consider donations to the UW-Platteville Foundation, the Grant County Humane Society or Agrace Hospice.