Virginia Melisz and James Klein

In June 1961, Jim and Ginny met at a mutual friend's wedding. Although they were both part of the wedding party, they didn't stand up together. It was love at first sight, with Jim asking Grandma Melisz and the ushers for permission to take Virginia home. The next day, Jim told his mother, "I've met the girl I want to marry." Jim celebrated their monthly anniversary with gifts, including chocolates, petit fours, crunchy chocolate-covered ants, and 10-pound chocolate bars. They tied the knot on March 14, 1964, at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Buffalo. Interestingly, their wedding was originally scheduled for April 1964 but was moved up due to the U.S. Army draft, leaving the original date inscribed on Jim's ring.

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Their first home together was a small furnished apartment in Tonawanda, costing $20 a week. In the fall of 1965, they moved to 213 Forbes in Tonawanda, where Ginny still resides today, with their 10-month-old son, “Jimmy.” Tragically, their second child, Andrew John, was born in January 1967 but passed away just three days later due to an undetected heart condition. Ginny had sensed something was amiss during her pregnancy but was reassured by her doctor; together, they mourned the unexpected loss. They later welcomed three more children: Matthew, Joseph, and Maria.

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Outside of family life, Jim enjoyed playing softball and hockey, eventually becoming an official as their family expanded. He also took pleasure tending to his vegetable garden. He loved playing with his grandchildren. Ginny devoted herself to being a homemaker and was actively engaged in her community, leading Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts, participating in a women's discussion group, and being involved with her church.

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Thanks to her sister Steph's encouragement, Jim and Ginny became involved in the "Renew" program at St. Christopher’s, where they deepened their faith and community ties. Jim graduated from ECC and worked as a chemist at FMC and Buffalo Color Corp., retiring in 1994. Ginny returned to school to earn her associate's degrees as a dietary technician graduating in 1993 and retired in 2005 from Niagara Lutheran Home. After a two-year battle with metastatic melanoma, Jim passed away at the age of 67 in 2008. Today, all four of their adult children live in the Buffalo area, along with the majority oftheir grandchildren and great-grandchildren.