John Francis Klausen died of heart failure at St. Mary's Hospital on May 26, 2014. John was 46 years old. He was born in Amsterdam, New York on November 26, 1967, the son of Ingbret A. Klausen and the late Olga A. Harvey. He grew up and attended school in Johnstown and graduated from Johnstown High School in 1985. John spent his life as a self-employed construction contractor, impressing with not just his quality of work but with his complete lack of fear of heights. He was well known for his work by day and his celebration of life by night. He was born with a congenital heart defect for which he had open heart surgery as an infant. The doctors at the time expected him to survive to 20 years old, optimistically. He beat the odds by far and squeezed every bit out of every day. He lived a life of personal freedom that many only dream about. John never married but he spent the past 6 years with his companion, Tina Pickrell, who survives as do his father and step-mother, Sylvia Klausen of Johnstown; brothers Michael Klausen and his partner Aleks Stojanovic of Ravena and Richard Pettit and wife Mary of Johnstown; sisters Karen Williams and her companion Matt Darbin of Northampton, Eileen Spannbauer and husband David of Meco, Laura Klausen and fiancé Robert Darling of Johnstown, Kathleen VanAlstine of Amsterdam, Colleen VanAlstine of Florida and Sylvia McCullers and husband Randy of Johnstown; many cousins, including J. J. Tiberio of Amsterdam; several nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. The family will receive relatives and friends from 11:00am to 1:00pm Saturday, May 31st at Walrath & Stewart Funeral Home, 51 Fremont St; Gloversville. Cremation took place at ParkView Crematorium, Schenectady. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in John's memory to the James A. Brennan Memorial Humane Society, 437 Nine Mile Tree Rd; Gloversville, NY 12078.