Throughout his professional career, Jeffrey Klein was active in the leadership of the not-for-profit community in New York City. As a member of the Association’s Board of Governors, he was especially supportive of the Public Service Award program. In fact, the awards are named after “Isaac Liberman” – Mr. Klein’s grandfather who founded the Association in 1927 as the then-president of the Arnold Constable Store incorporated in Brooklyn in 1824. He served as the president of the Bertha and Isaac Liberman Foundation.

Mr. Klein also served as a trustee and chairman of the New York Chamber Symphony. Music Director Gerard Schwarz cited his leadership as “loyal and committed” even under circumstances of significant challenge. He was also a member of the Board of the 92nd St YM-YWHA, founded 1874, for over 25 years. He also served as president of the Board of The Collegiate School, founded 1628, and was an active member of several trustee committees of the Museum of Modern Art.

In addition to his role at Modell’s Sporting Goods (1886), he was a philanthropist and pubic servant. Modell was a member of the Negotiating Committee for the Panama Canal Treaty under President Jimmy Carter, New York’s Commissioner of Public Affairs under Mayor Abe Beame and a founding patron of the Metropolitan Opera and Lincoln Center.

He also worked to find a cure for Crohn’s disease, which took his son Michael’s life in 2001.

Fred, the President and CEO of HWT Mali & Co. was a longtime supporter of the Hundred Year Association. He passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family and friends Thursday, February 1st. He is survived by Lucretia, his wife of 30 years. Lucretia is a member of the Association’s Board of Governors and Awards Committee.

Fred was born October 5, 1930, in New York City and educated at Buckley, Groton, Yale and Harvard Business School, where he earned an MBA. He served his country in the US Army between the wars.

He was the fifth generation to run his family’s firm which is the oldest continuously family-run company in New York City. The Mali family has been supplying the signature green wool cloth for pool and billiard tables since 1826. The company was one of the original members of the Association.

Fred was the great-grandson of John Taylor Johnston, the principal founder of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the great-great-grandson of abolitionist Lucretia Mott, and the first cousin eight times removed of Benjamin Franklin.

The Association joins Lucretia and the rest of Fred’s family in mourning the loss of this great friend. As one said “Fred’s kindness and consideration were known to all. Always a sense of humor; nary a word of nastiness towards anyone. We will never forget his charm and wonderful demeanor.”