Muriel Neff Kline, beautiful songstress
Muriel Neff Kline and her beautiful mezzo-soprano voice left this world Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, to sing with choirs of angels.
Born Aug. 13, 1929, in Detroit, Mich., Muriel was the youngest of four girls born to Russell and Mary Neff. She grew up in Highland Park and followed her engineer father to General Motors, where she worked for five years, helping type the top-secret documents for the Corvette. Muriel eventually took advantage of her sister Althea and brother-in-law Harley’s move to California, living with them and their young children, Kim and Rusty, while she studied at San Jose State University
California, however, was not her scene, so she returned to Michigan and enrolled at the University of Michigan, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in education and met the love of her life, John Calvin Kline
Muriel moved to New York City to teach elementary school in Larchmont, and the two married after John finished his MBA.
While in NYC, Muriel took advantage of its cultural hub to pursue classical vocal training with Metropolitan Opera singer Thelma Votipka.
Singing, however, was put on hold when her daughter Melissa was born in 1967, and the family left a one-room apartment in the city for a home in Livingston, N.J., where they lived until moving to Dover in 1972.
She continued singing with the Presbyterian Church of Dover choir, and Delaware Choral Society, and studied with Ann Hall Carvel. With her classically trained voice, she was a frequent soloist throughout the area. For three years, she sang with Dover’s Gilbert & Sullivan Players, earning roles in the Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, and Iolanthe. Former Gov. Pete DuPont sent her a personal letter thanking her for a “magnificent performance” at Woodburn.
In the 1990s, she continued vocal training with Dan and Nancy Pressley, culminating in a recital at the Dover Presbyterian Church, but as her daughter and son-in-law Conrad Steele began a growing family her role soon changed.
Her grandchildren, Delaney, Eibhlin, Ian and Rory, will always remember her as the best granny-nanny ever. With her point-and-shoot Chinon camera, she documented all of their young lives and accomplishments. There is no doubt she loved them all dearly, and we all loved her.
Muriel was predeceased by her husband, John; sisters, Betty, Dorothy and Althea, and their respective husbands Jerry, Bob and Harley; and sister-in-law, Ellen and her husband John. She is survived by her daughter, Melissa and son-in-law Conrad; brother-in-law, William Kline; grandchildren, Delaney, Eibhlin, Ian and Rory; nieces, Kathi (David), Susan (LeRoy), Kim (Dennis), Susan (Bob), Marcia, and Gwenan (Larry); nephews, Rusty, John, Michael (Lisa) and Mark (Lauren); and countless friends.
A memorial will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, Feb. 17, at Pippin Funeral Home, 119 W. Camden-Wyoming Ave., Wyoming. Interment will be held at a later date at West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala-Cynwyd, Pa.
Letters of condolence may be sent via pippinfuneralhome.com.
