Eulogy

For many years now, Eric Klein has done things interesting, inspiring, legendary even. Now, after an incredible act of bravery and martyrdom, he has passed on. Before his death, even in his short life, Eric was able to meet new people, and forever change their lives. Of the lives he changed, mine was overwhelmingly so. When I began to live life as he did, with passion and with no hatred, I saw the world differently. He really could see the beauty in things, and taught me to do the same.


The last time I saw him, was about an hour before his death. He never said “goodbye”, only “see you later” because he had no intention of having his life shortened. He was expecting something pleasant, and truly appreciated the things that life had to offer him. However, what he put before him, were two other’s lives. He had no hesitancy, when he ran down that alley to his death.

Now, I was not the one to find my good friend, it was the two that he had helped that had called the police. Unfortunately, they had made it too late, and the criminals had already made it off. The older couple told their side of the story: how Eric had dashed in with no hesitancy when a group of young men began to harass the couple. He had bravely told them to back off, though the men clearly had no intentions of doing so. They had reported that when the men told Eric that it was their idea of “fun”, that he had suggested that he took their place instead.

With every recognition of what he was doing, and knowing that he would not have fulfilled any of his own dreams, he stepped in to protect others. Eric Klein is truly a treasured friend of mine, and will surely be in my, as well as others, memories and prayers forever.