Nicholas Klym

September 8, 2021

Perseverant, loyal, and resplendent with love and creativity: such a description only begins to plumb the depths of Nicholas Klym’s personality and life. Just as this tribute defies convention, so did Nick, as he surpassed expectations while encouraging others to do the same. A teacher with unprecedented impact, he instilled such a strong sense of duty and respect that one of his students walked from Simsbury to West Hartford to turn in a project. A 1950s husband who built a house of equidistant commute time for his wife and himself: unheard of, except in the case of Nicholas Klym. A man who successfully sued the State of Connecticut for cutting down trophy shagbark hickories from his land to widen a road, Nick approached life with determination, alongside a penchant for social justice. While other fathers pummeled their male offspring with antiquated, oppressive gender-role restrictions, Nicholas Klym, to the contrary, chauffeured his only son four days a week after a full day of work from West Hartford to New York to study ballet. So how does life end up for such a man? Loyalty begets loyalty, even in the midst of health crises that ravaged Nick’s body and played tricks with his brain. When he could no longer fight for his rights, his family stepped in. Nicholas Klym, an only child with an only child with no children, you are loved and always will be. Thank you for teaching quality over quantity, individuality over homogeneity. You deserve much more than a list of achievements, offspring, friends, and professional affiliations. May your essence be etched in everyone you taught and everyone you loved.