Eddie Kloth11 still inspires
From the 2011 BHS yearbook written by the Journalism
Staff
He was first diagnosed with leukemia in his sophomore
year. It was a roller coaster ride after that for Edward Walter Kloth aka
Eddie, a ride that finally ended on September 28, 2010 in Arizona with his
family. For three years, Kloth would endure rounds of treatments achieving
periods of remission but then the cancer would return and he would resume
treatments. Even so, everyone who knew Kloth can tell you he was determined to
not let cancer rule his life. Kloth fought hard to stay in school and attend
regular classes. It is that level of “care” that we will always cherish about
Kloth.
Everything Kloth did was a
demonstration of an extraordinary determination to achieve his goals. Even when
Kloth was going through chemotherapy, he maintained his grades, once even
scoring the highest grade on an AP Chemistry test. This and his charm may have
been the secrets to his success. Arthur Kubko, a friend, explained, “Eddie was
accepting of everyone and their flaws. He was a smart guy. I remember he would
only come to school once a week because of chemo and I would be there for the
entire week and he would still get a higher grade than me! He will always be
remembered for his humor and cleverness. Always calm and peaceful, especially
among all the guys.”
He was also a member of the boys’
tennis team; he played doubles with James Hong. Once Coach Carlos Pelayo, one
of the tennis coaches, said, “I think James and Eddie work so well together
because they’re both quiet people. It’s like they read each other’s minds.”
Although he was only able to play for one season, he was part of the “tennis
rats of Burbank” crew. Chemotherapy usually slows patients down, but Kloth
would always go out to the courts after his therapy and play until 10 p.m. when
the lights would go out.
If Kloth was not on the courts, he and
his friends would be doing “typical guy stuff” as Kubko said, “I remember we
played a lot of ping pong at James’s house or just hung out at the mall. And,
when he got his license, we went out more to places like Roscoe’s [Chicken and
Waffles],” said Kubko.
Kloth was also a strong writer and had
emailed Journalism Advisor Anne Burnett that he would be joining the journalism
staff officially when school started but unfortunately, he was not able to
return for his senior year. Academic Decathlon Coach Val Beidelman was also
looking forward to seeing Kloth again. She said that even while he was
undergoing chemotherapy treatments, “Eddie would still show up for decathlon
practice and try to maintain his position on the team. It is courage, maturity,
compassion and daring that Kloth showed as he fought a valiant fight that
continues to inspire.
Kloth used to tell his friends that
cancer gave him a new perspective on life. He said he didn’t get bothered by
small things anymore. He said it was as if “God gave me a special pair of
glasses to look through."
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