Whitney Carl Klomann

Whitney Carl Klomann was born on March 1, 1948, in Evanston, Illinois, to Frederick William Klomann and Blanche Whitney Klomann. He spent his early years in Skokie, Illinois, with his siblings Frederick, Candace, Gail, and Lynn before the family moved to Long Grove after purchasing Arcadia Farm. Whitney attended Ela Vernon High School in Lake Zurich, where he excelled in basketball and baseball. He earned his pilot’s license in 1965 alongside his best friend Dennis Smith and later obtained his commercial pilot’s license and instrument rating while training in San Mateo, California.

In 1968, Whitney enlisted in the Army for aviation to avoid the draft. He served in Vietnam as a door gunner on a Huey helicopter known as the “Iron Butterfly.” In 1969, the helicopter crashed due to a rotor malfunction, leaving him severely injured and pinned beneath the wreckage. A field medic saved his life, but Whitney spent the next 18 months in hospitals and rehabilitation relearning how to walk, talk, and function. He was awarded a Purple Heart for his service. The injuries ended his dream of becoming a commercial airline pilot, a loss he felt deeply for the rest of his life. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in education, and a PhD in educational administration.

Whitney first married Sandra (Sandy) Tillman, with whom he had three children: Stuart, Everett, and Anna. The family lived off the grid on 74 acres in the Missouri Ozarks, where Whitney built their home. After their divorce, he married Sandra Lilley McCain in 1985, and their son Martin was born in 1986. In 1988, the family moved to the Navajo reservation in Tuba City, Arizona, where Whitney taught special education at the boarding school. He was later promoted to Director of Special Education and worked tirelessly to improve the program for hundreds of Native American students. In 1991, the family settled in Flagstaff, Arizona, where Whitney continued his daily 79-mile commute to the reservation until his retirement in 2003.

Whitney had a lifelong love of animals that began during his years caring for horses on the family farm. He enjoyed music, often humming or singing favorites by Anne Murray, Lee Greenwood, and the Beach Boys. A devoted Jehovah’s Witness, he found joy in proselytizing in local parks and in reading scriptures and church publications. He cherished time outdoors, especially on the deck of his Flagstaff home and at the family’s second home in Marble Falls, Texas.

Whitney Carl Klomann passed away on March 9, 2026, in Flagstaff, Arizona, at the age of 78 after a brief battle with leukemia. He is survived by his wife Sandra, his children Stuart, Everett, Anna, and Martin, his grandchildren Damien, Bailey, Tristan, Landon, Madisyn, and Kellen, his sisters Candace, Gail, and Lynn, and several nieces including Jennifer, Kimberly, Ashley, and Kate. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Frederick, his nephew William, and his brother-in-law Ronald Gozdecki. Private family services will be held in Marble Falls, Texas.