BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (June 29, 2026) – SAVE – Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, one of the nation’s leading suicide prevention organizations, today celebrated the life of co-founder Virgil “Al” Kluesner, who passed away on June 27, 2026, at the age of 96. Along with his wife, Mary, and two other couples, Al founded SAVE nearly 37 years ago and helped turn a small grassroots effort into a national force for hope.
A native of Iowa and a longtime Edina resident, Al built a successful career in business and marketing and was known for a “can do” spirit he brought to everything he did. But it was the work he and Mary poured into SAVE that became their enduring legacy.
“Al Kluesner knew the deepest darkness a parent can ever know, and he refused to let that darkness have the final word,” said Erich Mische, Chief Executive Officer of SAVE. “He and Mary took the unbearable loss of Amy and Michael and turned it into a lighthouse for families still out in the storm. Every life SAVE has touched in these 37 years traces back to a handful of heartbroken parents who decided that love would outlast loss. Al was one of them, and his light will shine through this work for generations to come.”
The Kluesners lost their daughter, Amy, to suicide in 1985. In 1989, alongside other families who had endured the same loss, Al and Mary helped found SAVE. The family later lost their son, Michael, to suicide in 1997. Rather than retreat into private grief, Al and Mary chose to build something that would carry meaning to families they would never meet.
“Al was a founder in the truest sense of that word,” said Cindy Koebele, President of SAVE’s Board of Directors. “He helped shape an organization that has saved lives and comforted families for nearly four decades. We celebrate a man whose courage and vision are woven into everything SAVE is, and we extend our love to the entire Kluesner family, including Al’s son Philip, who serves alongside us and carries his parents’ commitment forward each day.”
Al was preceded in death by his wife, Mary, and their children Amy and Michael. He is survived by his sons, Kevin and Philip, and their families.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 9, 2026, at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Edina, Minnesota, with visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial gifts be directed to SAVE or to Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church.
Memorials in Al’s honor can be made to SAVE online at http://qrco.de/donate-to-SAVE or checks to: 7900 Xerxes Avenue, Suite 1350, Bloomington, MN 55431
About SAVE
SAVE – Suicide Awareness Voices of Education is a national nonprofit dedicated to ending the tragedy of suicide. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Bloomington, Minnesota, SAVE works through education and training, advocacy, lethal means safety, and support for suicide loss survivors, turning awareness into action, and action into hope. Learn more at www.save.org.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.