Although retirement is often viewed as an opportunity for rest and a slower-paced lifestyle, retiree Linda Klippert has a schedule packed with a multitude of trips and projects.
Klippert retired from the department of veterinary clinical medicine Jan. 1, with more than 30 years of service at the UI.
After graduating from Illinois in 1972 with a bachelors degree in biology, Klippert worked as a lab assistant with the Illinois Natural History Survey before transferring to the department of veterinary clinical medicine.
During her career at the university, Klippert was recognized three times for her outstanding contributions. She received a Chancellors Distinguished Staff Award in 1995 and won the Dr. Robert and Lucy Graham Award in 1985 and again in 1998.
“What I miss most is the animals that would come to the clinic and working with the students,” Klippert said. “Because each animal is so different and the students are the cream of the crop really witty and sharp.”
Among her favorite patients at the clinic were the cougars, lions and tigers brought in by an exotic feline rescue center in Indiana.
Despite her retirement, Klipperts 2002 itinerary has been a busy one, including two trips to Colorado, one of which was a camping trip with her 9-year-old great-nephew, and a visit to Savannah, Ga., during October for an annual veterinary dentistry conference.
In addition, Klippert, who described herself as a baseball fanatic, said she also has begun fulfilling her longtime aspiration of attending games at each of the major league ballparks in the United States.
During the 2002 season, Klippert attended home games of the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox, the Cincinnati Reds, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Chicago Cubs and her favorite team, the Chicago White Sox.
Klipperts retirement present to herself was season tickets to the Chicago Bears games at Memorial Stadium. Although a bit disheartened by the Bears lackluster performance against the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 7, Klippert said that being a White Sox fan has helped her learn to take defeats in stride.
Besides baseball, Klippert said she also has a passion for Dalmatians and owns two Doodles, 4, whom she adopted from the Champaign County Humane Society; and Odie, 10, whom she acquired through a co-worker. Like many of their breed, Klipperts Dalmatians have boundless energy and demand plenty of exercise and play time with their owner.
At first, retirement took some getting used to, Klippert said, but having more leisure time has enabled her to devote time to hobbies that had been “on hold” while she was employed, such as working with stained glass and restoring old furniture.
“I like to renew old things,” Klippert said, adding that most of the furnishings in her Champaign home are restored pieces that once belonged to her grandparents.
Klippert has reupholstered or refinished several pieces of furniture since retiring in January but still has a garage full of battered furnishings awaiting her attention. Frequent “antique-ing” shopping trips for heirloom pieces ensures Klippert a plentiful supply of future restoration projects.
Besides pieces for her personal use, Klippert also occasionally restores furniture for friends who are willing to waitsometimes for monthswhile Klippert refurbishes their treasured pieces at her own leisurely pace.
“I dont work very fast but eventually stuff gets done,” Klippert said.
Klipperts home also is decorated with her free-hanging stained-glass pieces.
“I love jigsaw puzzles, so stained glass work is kind of the same thing,” Klippert said. “You make all the pieces and then put them all together.”
One of Klipperts projects, a six-sided stained-glass lamp shade, was more daunting than she had expected, leaving her reluctant to tackle such an intricate project again anytime soon.
Yet another creative outlet for Klippert is ceramics, which she recently began to learn from a former co-worker.
At least one day a month Klippert turns her creative energies to the outdoors by volunteering at Robert Allerton Park, Monticello, where she helps maintain the parks hiking trails, signs and gardens.
retiree profile
Klippert enjoys traveling, sports and crafts
By Sharita Forrest, Assistant Editor (217) 244-1072; slforres@illinois.edu
