Dean Russell Klingler

Dean Russell Klingler passed away unexpectedly but peacefully in his sleep on the morning of April 20th, in Missoula, Montana.

Born February 19, 1959 to Russell and Helen Klingler in Missoula, Montana, Dean lived in the Montana communities of Missoula, Glasgow and Harlem until the age of six when Dean’s father took a job with American International Group and Dean grew up traveling the world. Over the next twelve years Dean studied and lived in Trinidad, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Taipei Taiwan and Jakarta Indonesia where he graduated from JAS in 1977.

After graduation, Dean returned to Montana to attend the Montana State University Northern in Havre where he graduated with a Degree in Automotive. Dean opened DK speed and paint in Great Falls and after several years in business, he returned to the Montana State University Northern in Havre and graduated with a degree in Business Administration with a minor in computer science. After university, he accepted an opportunity in 1985 with Lincoln Savings & Loan and moved to Los Angeles. Living and working in Los Angeles, Dean met Sandy Wagner in 1990 during his employment at Siemens Data Center and they became inseparable.

In 1993, they moved to Missoula, Montana where he married the love of his life Sandy Wagner on May 15, 1994 at their home in Missoula, Montana. Dean worked at the family businesses with his father, Russell Klingler, and enjoyed the Rocky Mountains lifestyle immensely. He started the business of Warrior Auto Works in 1999 which was a joy for him as it allowed him get back into the automotive business, which he loved.

Traveling and exploring the gorgeous state of Montana, Dean and Sandy loved spending the summer weekends on their boat at Eagle Bend on Flathead Lake with their family and best friends Geoff and Dee Bayliss and enjoyed skiing and snowmobiling during the winter months. One of Dean’s favorite things was spending Christmas with his family at their Big Mountain home, they were truly special.

Dean loved to travel and show Sandy the world, taking her to places he had been and sharing new adventures and experiences together. Travels to Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, England, Monaco, Scotland, Cuba and Jamaica and many more were some of their amazing adventures they explored together. Some of Dean’s favorite times were when his whole family would take trips together, family was everything to him.

Dean sold Warrior Auto Works in 2010 and took a leap of faith to move to Sarasota Florida in 2011, back to the tropical lifestyle they both loved. The beaches, rivers, reserves, parks and wildlife were their happy places. Meeting new people and exploring new surroundings were exciting adventures for Dean and Sandy. They found a lot of peace and happiness there and thoroughly enjoyed their time together.

Survivors include his beloved wife Sandy, his brother & best friend Brett, his Aunt Lois, his nephews Christian, Michael, his nieces Payton, Cassie, Katie, Karissa and his many cousins.

A beloved husband, brother, nephew, uncle and friend to all, he will be deeply and forever missed but never forgotten. Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality ~ Emily Dickinson