Hilari Kleine Jones, 1971-2025

My wife and best friend of 32 years, Hilari Jan Kleine Jones passed away on March 20, 2025, due to a massive brain bleed. She was born on July 24, 1971, at Cottonwood Hospital to Shauna Lee Knight Kleine and James Dallas Kleine III and grew up in the Sugarhouse area of Salt Lake City. Always an excellent student, Hilari graduated from Highland High, where she was the editor of the school newspaper. She later completed a B.A. in English from the University of Utah and an M.S. in Technical Writing from Utah State University. Her intelligence, organization, attention to detail, willingness to learn new skills, and hard work resulted in professional success, most recently as the Technical Product Director for Premier, Inc., a job which she absolutely loved for the work and the people that she was able to work with.

Hilari and I met after being introduced by friends, which led to this wonderful journey over the past 3 plus decades.  We were looking forward to celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary.  Of the countless components of a relationship, Hilari’s wit and wicked sense of humor helped get us through hard times together. And even though they were hard times, we always loved and respected one another, and treated each other with kindness.  We supported each other’s professional endeavors, and enjoyed every moment together we could, even if it was Sunday walks through the city, hiking, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing.

We loved cooking together with Hilari taking up the vegetables and I took care of proteins. Her mise en place was incredible.  Hilari was also a skilled baker who made many favorite treats, including Easter cinnamon rolls, holiday “pinch cake.”, and the best cookies on the planet.  Combined, we made a wonderful team inside the kitchen and out, providing food to loved ones and strangers alike as providing food to people was her expression of love to a wider world.

Hilari was an absolute bad-ass. She played the piano, electric guitar, and bass. She practiced karate and yoga. She was an equestrian who volunteered helping kids with disabilities and veterans with PTSD spend time with horses, and learn the empowerment of working with those beautiful animals.  Hilari’s clever drawings and stories turned up on cards and notes over the years along with books she wrote and illustrated as gifts for family. She devised many craft projects that she worked on with her nephew, Finley, and these remain treasured works of art.

Hilari was an avid runner for as long as I’ve known her, and for a time, she ran in the Winter Race Series with her siblings every year, including a 15 K that took place in heavy snow, with thunder and lightning. Hilari’s final day, which ended at the hospital, even started with a routine 5 mile run.

I want to thank everyone at the University of Utah Medical Center’s Emergency and Neurocritical Care units for their helpful and compassionate efforts during an extremely difficult situation. I want to thank Hilari’s family and siblings, Chris and Hollie for being an incredible resource over these past 11 days. I’d like to thank my family for helpful words. And I’d like to thank all those who have reached out, offering contact, assistance and love.

Finally, I want everyone to know how generous Hilari was to people who had no idea it was her behind their gifts.  Hilari never wanted recognition or credit for these things.  She valued that giving as an intrinsic good to the communities and institutions around her. Hilari was also an organ donor whose gifts benefited four local people in Utah, and my solace is knowing that others were able to benefit from her final act of selflessness.

A celebration of Hilari’s life will be held April 19 at the Starks Funeral Parlor. Get in touch if you are interested in attending. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to your favorite charity.

Hilari, my friend and spouse, I love you. I miss you. I will miss laughing with you in bed at the end of the day. I will miss your insight and intellect. I will miss traveling with you and seeing new things together.  Hilari, thank you for being you, and for gifting me 32 years of partnership with you.  The world was a better place with you, and because of your efforts in it.