Wm. Arlyn Kloesel

Arlyn was born in Hallettsville, Texas on February 23, 1939 to Arthur and Ruby (Grasshoff) Kloesel. He is preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his wife and high school sweetheart Mary Carol Strauss Kloesel, and two sons, Scott Kloesel of Houston and Kevin Kloesel, Ph.D. and wife Laura Geiger of Oklahoma City, two grandchildren – Ryan Kloesel and Megan Kloesel and step-grandchild Kelsey Krupicka

Arlyn graduated from Sacred Heart Catholic High School in Hallettsville in 1957. He quarter-backed the Indian football team to the school’s first two state championships in 1955 and 1956. He often credited the nuns who taught him in elementary and high school as being a major influence in his life

Music was also a big part of Arlyn’s life. He started playing the trumpet at the age of 7. As an eighth grader he joined with his father Arthur and Uncle Herbert Kloesel in playing for the Lone Star Brass band. The band played at many church picnics in Central Texas including, Frelsburg, Cat Springs, High Hill, Hostyn, and Ammannsville. The band also had a weekly radio show on KWHI Brenham, Texas. In high school he played trumpet with the Herb Windel Orchestra. In addition, he played in the Sacred Heart Catholic High School band.

Arlyn earned the rank of Eagle Scout and was selected as a member of the Order of the Arrow and completed the Ad Altari Dei Program.

He attended St. Mary’s University in San Antonio in 1957-1959 and was a member of the St. Mary’s ROTC Symphonic Band directed by Frank ‘Pop’ Sturchio, a former member of the John Philips Sousa band. Arlyn entered The College of Pharmacy at the University of Texas at Austin and graduated with a BS in Pharmacy in 1962.

Arlyn practiced Pharmacy for 18 years with Sommers Drug in Austin. In 1975 he was appointed to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy by Governor Dolph Briscoe and served as president of the Board in 1978-1979. In 1980 he accepted a position with The University of Texas College of Pharmacy as Clinical Instructor/Coordinator of Continuing Education. In 1981, he was promoted to the position of Director of Professional Affairs for the College of Pharmacy. During these years he served as a Clinical Assistant Professor, Senior Lecturer, and was in the inaugural class of senior lecturers and promoted to Distinguished Senior Lecturer in 2007. He served as an assistant dean at the college from 1987 until 1995 at which time he relinquished the administrative position and devoted his time to teaching. He served on the Admissions Committee at the College of Pharmacy from 1982 until 2018. Arlyn’s passion was teaching and mentoring students. He knew the names of most students at the College, and the names of their high school mascot. In 1999, he and Dr. Jamie Barner developed the Care And Respect for the Elderly Program (CARE), a program whereby each of 125 first year pharmacy students were assigned to a resident at one of numerous assisted-living facilities in the Austin area. Students provided companionship and social support to the residents for an entire academic year while learning about disease states affecting the elderly and the drugs used to treat these disease states.

Arlyn received numerous awards during his career. He received the William J. Sheffield Outstanding Alumnus Award in 1985, and the Legend of Pharmacy Award in 1992 from the college’s alumni association. The college of pharmacy alumni association designated the preceptor of the year award as the Wm. Arlyn Kloesel Preceptor of the Year Award in 1995. Also, he received numerous teaching, mentoring and advising awards. In 1992 he received the Excellence in Academic Advising Award from the College of Pharmacy. In 2005 he was selected by students at the College of Pharmacy to receive the Excellence in Teaching Award at the College, and in 2010, he received the Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award from The University of Texas System Board of Regents. Arlyn took great pride in the fact he served as Marshal for College of Pharmacy at The University of Texas Official Graduation ceremony for 20 years. He was able to teach first year pharmacy students and then lead them at The University of Texas graduation ceremony.

Arlyn also received awards from several pharmacy professional organizations. In 1995, he received the Distinguished Service award from Texas Pharmacy Association, and in 1998 he received the Gloria Neimeyer Francke Leadership Mentor award from the American Pharmacists Association. In 2005, he received the Texas Pharmacy Association Individual Excellence in Education Award, and in 2011 he received the Texas Society of Health System Pharmacists Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor the Society can bestow on an individual.

Arlyn was selected to give the Commencement Address to the December 1995 graduates at The University of Texas at Austin, College of Pharmacy, and was selected in 1996 and 2011 to give the commencement addresses to graduates of Sacred Heart Catholic High School, in Hallettsville, Texas. In 2011 he received the high schools’ inaugural Distinguished Graduate Award.

Arlyn and his wife were honored in 1995 when College of Pharmacy Alumni, Faculty, Staff, Colleagues and Friends funded the Wm. Arlyn and Mary Carol Kloesel Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Pharmacy. Arlyn was honored again in 2012 when the University of Texas College of Pharmacy established the Wm. Arlyn Kloesel Endowment for Excellence in Pharmacy.

Arlyn and his family, Mary Carol and two sons Kevin and Scott had a lifelong interest in high school football and basketball. After the sons graduated from high school Arlyn, Mary Carol and at least one of the sons would attend one if not two high school football games per week in the Central Texas area. Once high school playoffs began, they would see as many as 4-7 games a week at stadiums in San Antonio, Houston or Dallas. The Texas High School Basketball Tournament at the Erwin Center was a must see each year.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to one of the following:

- The Wm. Arlyn Kloesel Endowment at Sacred Heart High School, Hallettsville, Texas. Contribution should be sent to Dennis Haas, Principal.

- The Wm. Arlyn and Mary Carol Kloesel Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Pharmacy. (contact: [email protected])

- The Arlyn Kloesel Endowment for Excellence in Pharmacy. (contact: [email protected])