‘She was just entering the peak of her life’
Mariah Klinefelter with her sons
Mariah Klinefelter
Jeff, Gabriel, Mariah and Noah Klinefelter
The Klinefelters
Mariah Klinefelter of Upper St. Clair was only 35 when she was tragically killed last month in Florida.
By that age, Mariah accomplished much. She was a friend to many and known for her joyful and infectious spirit. She was a successful labor and employment attorney for the Southpointe office of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC.
But perhaps more importantly, she became a bride to Jeff Klinefelter and mother of two sons, Gabriel, 2 1/2, and Noah, six months.
Mariah was jogging along a Port Charlotte road while pushing Noah in a stroller early April 22 when she was struck by a vehicle driven by Allen Peterson, 55, of Port Charlotte. Noah sustained several broken bones and is in the process of recovering from his injuries, his father said. Mariah died at the scene, according to reports.
Her death is still under investigation, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
“There were no signs of impairment for the motorist involved so therefore no toxicology,” Lt. Gregory S. Bueno of the Florida Highway Patrol stated in an email.
It has been less than a month since Mariah was killed. Her death has left a void in the lives of many people, especially her family, her friends and at her workplace.
“We will always remember her love for her family, her wonderful personality, her beautiful smile and her contributions to our firm,” said Kristian White, managing member of Steptoe’s Southpointe office.
Jeff Klinefelter returned to work May 10as director of construction engineering at EQT Corp. He said he was tired of sitting around the house.
“I think I said I am saddened, which is an understatement,” he said. “Mariah was a special part, if not the center, of my life for the past 10 years. Although a relatively short time, I cannot imagine my future without her in it. My greatest regret, and the most difficult thing for me to accept, is that our children will not be able to know her as I did.”
Mary Ann Coda, her mother, said Mariah’s biggest fear was that her two sons would be left without a mother.
“The world’s just not as bright,” she said. “She was just entering the peak of her life.”
Jeff’s brother, Greg, introduced the couple, and the attraction was instant. Jeff said he asked Mariah for a date the next day.
They were married in Camden, Maine, on Oct. 3, 2009. Jeff said Mariah liked the rocky coast of the state. The wedding, attended by 100 people, was followed by a honeymoon in Costa Rica.
Jeff said he and Mariah settled in Upper St. Clair, where her parents live. Mariah was a 1999 graduate of Upper St. Clair High School and a December 2006 graduate of Duquesne University Law School.
Before Gabriel came along, Jeff said, they traveled frequently, visiting the likes of Italy, Belgium, the Czech Republic and France. He said Mariah, who enjoyed baking, loved Paris, especially the pastry shops. In fact, Jeff said if Mariah had her way, she would have had a bakery and coffee shop. But she opted to follow in her mother’s footsteps – Mary Ann’s family started the downtown Pittsburgh law firm of Lewis, Lewis & Riley – and become an attorney.
Mary Ann said when Mariah returned from a trip to Paris with Jeff, she could not stop raving about the macaroons she tasted. Her daughter was determined to duplicate the recipe, she said.
“She loved them,” said Mary Ann, adding that Mariah was a very good baker.
Mariah was an avid runner who ran five miles most days and competed in several marathons.
“Really what defined Mariah was the small stuff,” Jeff said. “She would glow with excitement on the smallest details. She lifted everyone up.”
Her mother agreed.
“You would notice when Mariah was in the room,” she said.
Mariah also loved animals, Mary Ann said. She had two dogs, Pixie, a Rottweiler, and Oscar, a bulldog. And as a young girl, she had a quarterhorse, Penny.
“She was fun and loving,” her mother said, adding that Mariah loved wearing headbands, too, especially ones with feathers. “She loved Christmas. Loved, loved, loved Christmas.”
But it was being a mother that defined Mariah. Her own mother said Mariah was driven to take care of her sons and always strived to do the right thing.
“I want the children to know how much they are loved,” she said.
The families of both Jeff and Mariah are pitching in and helping him take care of his sons. Noah – who sustained two broken clavicles, a punctured lung, five broken ribs and three skull fractures – is continuing to heal. Mary Ann, who lives a little more than a mile away, said Noah is improving daily.
Jeff’s parents, who live in Waynesburg, also help, Mary Ann said.
“Gabriel knows Mom is not here,” Jeff said. “I am trying to get him to understand death.
“I am depressed and sad. But I am trying to be strong for the kids.”