Thursday, February 4, 2021
My tennis Pro Life-long friend, Dick Klitch, passed peacefully this past Sunday morning 128/2021
Dick caught me in age August 15, 2020, at 87-years old for three months until I became 88. We Were bona-fide Mound Park Urchins in Portsmouith, Ohio. An urchin then could be defined as "a mischievous young child, especially one who is poorly or raggedly dressed" especially in my situation as one of ten kids.
Those were days the parents could safely let their kids go to the nearby park early without any thought of serious criminal trouble
throughout the day.
Dick's dad normally worked nights, and so he spent a lot of time with the boys in the park in teaching them baseball, but,more than that, about life in living honestly. And, in winning with fundamentals. Herman Klitch was an outstanding teacher!
I accepted a job 54 years ago in Columbus where DIck was the Dean of Tennis Teaching Pros. We renewed the friendship, which was solid, and spent a lot of our spare times together. Now today is a time of acceptable diversity, but Dick and I shared a completely heterosexual friendship in which our conversations were never, or hardly ever, regarding sexual things. I believe we shared mutual respect, if you won't believe me to be an egotist.
I have written 13 books now without accumulating wealth, just merely a break even status.h My books have to do with interviews of acquaitnances who impressed me that they acted sensibly in their lives and with demonstrated integrity. Dick Klitch is in three of those books. He had a serious stroke a few years ago and after short rehabilitation in Columbus, He and his wonderful wife, Joan (Smith) Klitch, accepted son, Tim's invitation to come and share their house for a while in Austin Texas. Tim had retired his CEO position with the Comerica Bank there and his family was living in a sizable house that Lyndon and Ladybird Johnson once shared.
My wife, Jeanie and I hope someday to share more time with our good friend Dick Klitch in Heaven. Nobody knows when that may be for Joan, Jeanie, or me. We take those passings sadly as they come. Nonetheless, Old Sammy is doubly saddened because I spent so little time in telephone conversations with Dick and was certainly hoping to spend more time here with my friend, Dick Klitch, suspecting the seriousness yet in denial.
Sam Kegley
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