Obituary of Panod Klongtruatroke

Panod Klongtruatroke of Saint Paul, Minnesota born January 7th, 1974 to Prakeb and Vena Klongtruatroke in Bangkok Thailand, died peacefully with his family by his side on March 26th, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the age of 50. Panod is survived by his mother, Vena, as well as his wife Lori, and children Taylor and Ian. He is also survived by his mother-in-law Sarah (Mark), brother-in-law Robert (Jen), and nephew and nieces Kane, Kadence, and Megan. He is preceded in death by his father, Prakeb. Raised in Miami, FL, Panod came to Minnesota for college at the University of Minnesota at the age of 16. Panod started his career in 1995 at HIRED, where he served as a Lead Developer and IS Coordinator until 1999. From 1999 to 2011, he worked at UrbanPlanet Software LLC as a Software/Systems Engineer, designing technology solutions for various organizations. During this time, he also held leadership roles in multiple projects, including architecting NIAAA's Alcohol Policy Information System and the Charities Review Council's Accountability Wizard. Panod then joined Dakota County in 2011 and worked as a CJN Analyst and Developer until 2017, with a brief stint as a Software Consultant in 2011. At the time of his death, Panod held the title of Vice President of Engineering at CloseSimple, where he was responsible for providing advanced communications and productivity services to the real estate market. He also considered many of his colleagues at CloseSimple to be close friends. Panod met Lori Barnes while working at HIRED & they were married on March 26th, 2000 in Minneapolis Minnesota. They then raised their children in Como Park, Saint Paul. Panod served as Vice Chair on the Como Community Council 2010-2012, which then earned him a place on the City of Saint Paul’s Neighborhood Honor Roll for his thoughtful and calm presence while giving the neighborhood the direction needed for several controversial topics where his drive for transparency was key for the forward movement of the community. Anything that Panod became curious about in life quickly became an adventure. It was not uncommon for him to juggle learning new technology, while watching his favorite Twitch or YouTuber’s talking about new bike touring or Disney adventures, while simultaneously helping to steer a family member or friend with their daily life questions that he was always willing to listen to. While he was raised in Florida, he never seemed to get tired of the snow and cold that his adopted home in Minnesota threw at him. His last day with us was spent biking in the snow with a group out of Minneapolis after work, while undertaking his new love for live streaming. Panod was a registered organ donor, and was able to save several lives by donating his organs to people in need. While he will be deeply missed by those he touched while he was alive, it does help to know that a part of him is still here helping people who need it. Family and friends are invited to attend an open house to celebrate Panod on April 14th 8:30am - 9:45am at the Como Conservatory, North Garden 1225 Estabrook Drive, St. Paul, MN 55103 Please feel free to join his family and coworkers at a Saint Paul Saints game later that day (April 14th) at 2pm to enjoy the afternoon in the spirit of Panod. He loved a good Saints game, and would want to have us smiling on the day we take the time to reflect on his life. In lieu of flowers, the family would encourage donations in Panod’s name to the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation https://mplsheart.org, LifeSource www.life-source.org, or Free Bikes 4 Kidz MN https://fb4kmn.org