Philip Arthur Klopfenstein

Philip Arthur Klopfenstein passed away on Friday, February 28, 2025. He was born on April 28, 1937, at Lake Odessa, Michigan, to Glendell and Bernice (Shumway) Klopfenstein. He is preceded in death by his wife of fifty-six years, Ann Jo (Davis) Klopfenstein; and his brother, Paul R. Klopfenstein. He is survived by his brother, David J. Klopfenstein of Lake Odessa, Michigan. A niece, Heather (Klopfenstein) Garlitch of Portland, Michigan and a nephew, Kevin Klopfenstein of Hastings, Michigan, plus grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

He was a Military Veteran serving in the United States Army as a two-year draftee stationed in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Philip received his B.A. Degree from Michigan State University, M.A. Degree from Western Michigan University, and completed additional graduate work at Harvard University. At Harvard, he earned an Arts Management Certificate. He also attended two post-graduate Smithsonian Institution summer workshop programs dealing with Museum Management Skills. Upon his return to High School teaching, he enrolled in three courses at Henderson State University to comply with Arkansas Teacher Certification requirements.

He was employed as a High School Teacher in Hopkins, Michigan and Paw Paw, Michigan while he was a Graduate student at Western Michigan University. Upon the award of the Master's Degree, he joined the Little Rock University where he taught Art History and additional studio courses for four years. His next teaching experience involved the award of a grant to create an arts appreciation T.V. program for Channel 2 Arkansas Educational Television, Conway, Arkansas. 

In the fall of 1970, he became the Director of the Pine Bluff Arkansas Art Center. In 1977, he and his wife moved to Augusta, Georgia, where he became the Director of the Augusta Richmond County Museum to manage a two-year building renovation and supervision of the building of a Museum Storage Facility. In the fall of 1979, he moved to Montgomery, Alabama as Director of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. During his tenure as Director, he and his staff curators organized many significant Art exhibitions. A number of the exhibitions were circulated to various major museums in the United States. One major exhibition he organized was supported by an agency of the U.S. Government and was circulated to major museums in seven countries in South America. The Exhibition was based upon the loan of paintings from sixty U.S. Corporation Art Collections.

In 1988, he and his wife, who grew up in Glenwood, returned to Arkansas to live in Glenwood. Several months after moving to the community, he asked to join the teaching staff of the Glenwood High School, which became today's Centerpoint School District. During his tenure as an Arkansas teacher, he taught history, civics, and economics. The last two years prior to retirement in 1999, he served as director of Federal Programs and managed Title IV grants and state-required student testing for the District. 

During his working career, he was associated with several community service organizations. Among the notable were Rotary International, Art Museum Directors Association, Southeastern Museums Association, and the Three Rivers Art Guild. As a retired teacher, he became an active member of the Area IV Arkansas Retired Teachers Association, serving as a local chapter President, area director, and a state regional member of the Board of Directors for Teachers Association.

Visitation will be on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, from 1:00 PM until 2:00 PM at Smith Family Funeral Home, and the Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 PM on Wednesday. Burial will follow in the Glenwood Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to the Glenwood Church of Christ, HWY 70 West, Glenwood, AR 71943.