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Grieving the Loss Of One Of Our Own: A Tribute To Our Training Specialist, Kevin Kline

Aug 02, 2018

Here at ASD, we are reminded every day of the
fragile, impermanent nature of life. We hear calls every day that reinforce the
idea that every moment is precious and fleeting, as tomorrow is never promised.
Still, there is never anyway to prepare for the sudden and unexpected absence
of a beloved friend and colleague. On ASD’s blog and social media, we often
describe our staff as the “ASD family.” From the outside, it is hard to get a
full picture of what that phrase really means to everyone here. Our employees
are connected through countless shared experiences, forming bonds as deep and
strong as any family tree. This week, we tragically lost a member of our
family.

On July 31st, our Training
Specialist,
Kevin Kline, unexpectedly passed away. Kevin joined our team in May
of last year and quickly became an integral part of our team. He was a truly
one-of-a-kind person who brought joy to everyone he met with his contagious
sense of humor and warm heart. As a Training Specialist, Kevin helped welcome
our new trainees to the ASD family by guiding them through their job duties
with his unique blend of wit and wisdom. In this role, Kevin quickly forged strong
connections with so many of our employees. He was held in high esteem by
his colleagues for his good-humored professionalism and loved by all for his distinct,
incomparable personality.

To
Kevin’s family and loved ones, know that you are in our thoughts and everyone
here at ASD is grieving with you. We are so deeply sorry for your loss.

Losing one of our own, especially a person who
impacted as many people as Kevin did, has left behind an immeasurable void here
at ASD. There is no doubt that Kevin’s influence on our company and those he
worked with will continue to be felt in the years to come. We will be doing
everything possible to support our staff to help them get through this
difficult time. Please keep everyone in your prayers as we
process this tragic news and grieve the loss of our beloved friend and
co-worker.

Kevin spending time with his ASD family. These
photos really show the love and strong bonds between our employees. (Thank you
to ASD Training Specialist, Rebecca Rushton, for sharing these photos)

Kevin helped ASD’s “Mud Team” cross the finish
line last May during the Team ASD
Tough Mudder challenge.

Kevin loved making people laugh. When he wasn’t
posting comical one-liners on our virtual employee bulletin board, he was
sharing hilarious memes on the Meme Facebook page he created with friends…

…or dressing up as Bob Ross for Halloween.

…or wearing a hilariously-awesome pair of
Christmas tights for ASD’s Ugly Christmas Sweater contest. (Pictured with his
close friend, Alessandro DeNofio).

Many of our employees have found comfort in
sharing some of Kevin’s best jokes or creating memes in his honor.

A meme created in memory of Kevin by our Call
Specialist, Ian Harting

On ASD’s virtual bulletin board (known
internally as “page 4”), Kevin was known for creating pictures using only
keyboard characters. After his passing, our Lead Creative Designer, Juan Silva,
created this keyboard character portrait of Kevin as a tribute.


We would like to take a moment just to thank all of our
clients, partners and former employees who reached out to us to express their sadness
over Kevin’s passing and to express their heartfelt condolences. From
expressing sympathy to our Call Specialists on the phone, to leaving a kind
note on our Facebook page, to sending a thoughtful card – we take comfort in
the outpouring of support we have received. Its moments like this that make us
incredibly thankful to work in a profession defined by compassion.

Below are some of the
memories and tributes shared in remembrance of Kevin:

“If there were enough words to describe the special soul Kevin is, it
would take my entire life to write them down. My first time at ASD was during a
time when he had not worked for the company yet. During that time I had my
first experience with the “ASD family” atmosphere and it was amazing
then. However, when I returned in October 2017, he had already been working
there since May, and I believe that Kevin’s infectious personality was one
reason that there was so much camaraderie, support, care, compassion, and
honestly humor when I returned, everything felt different. He told me that ASD
is the only place that he felt truly at home when he was there. When our
deeper friendship began shortly after we met I was able to fully realize how
amazing this person was that I crossed paths with. His intelligence and ability
to turn everything into a pun was unparalleled, all of the jokes and memes, the
support and sensitivity he was willing to give any coworker who needed it, and
more patient than anyone I ever met. He left a mark on everyone who was
fortunate enough meet him. I never met a person like him before and know I never
will after. I wish you knew how much everyone loved you my
dearheart.”
-Alessandra DeNofio (Alessandra worked as a Call Specialist for ASD
in 2017 and was very close to Kevin).

“My fondest memory of Kevin was when we first met. I walked into the new training class and I was training two other people but he stood out. He smiled at me, introduced himself and that was the start of our friendship. The introduction was hilarious because he clearly has a very similar name to an actor. “Hi, my name is Kevin Kline, ‘The Kevin Kline’. Kidding, but that’s really my name.” Kevin’s personality was ridiculously contagious and all you could do was smile around him. With the shoulder sway and humorous facial expressions; you can’t help yourself! He grew to be more than just a friend, but a part of the ASD family. He was the person who was always able to brighten your day when it was cloudy. I can’t imagine walking into work every day not feeling like a piece of us is gone, because it is. He was a crucial part of our day, our work, our family. But as much as he will be missed, his legacy will live on in the hearts he’s touched. Everyone will remember “The Kevin Kline” and what a beautiful soul he was. My heart goes out to his family & everyone he has made such a huge impact on. ❤️ “-Emily Landry (ASD Supervisor)

“You were a true gentleman and will be missed dearly at
work. I’m still at a loss for words. You were a great person.”
-Julia Kapusta (ASD Call Specialist)

“I wish I’d gotten more time to hang out with you outside of
work. Between our meme group and our puns on page 4 I got to vibe with you,
comically speaking, in ways I don’t get to with many people. Missing you a
whole lot right now and wish we could have hung out one more time.”
Ian Harting (ASD Assistant Supervisor)

“You were truly one of a kind. I just can’t believe you’re
gone. My mind is blow and my heart is so sad. I just saw you. I am going to
miss seeing you and “your rock” as I leave work and waving to you. I’m gonna
miss walking down the steps switching shifts and telling you how crazy the
callers were. Thanks for always letting me waddle down the steps when I was
pregnant and holding the door for me. You will be missed forever Kev. Rest
easy.”
Lauren McCauley (ASD Training Specialist)

“Kevin you were more than just a coworker.
You were family. Rest easy”-
Keila Lighty (ASD Call Specialist)

“My interactions I shared with you were too few, but they
were very meaningful to me. I am grateful for those moments. It meant a lot to
me that you read my writing and shared your thoughts with me on difference
pieces I wrote for ASD. I keep re-reading that last message you sent me. I know
you were struggling with the anniversary of Bob’s passing and I was very
touched by how open you were in sharing with me what you were going through. I
like to imagine the two of you hanging out together again, taking care of each
other.”-
Jessica Farren (ASD Public Relations Specialist)


Unfortunately, ASD employees are no strangers to loss. It
was just a little over a year ago when our Training Supervisor,
Bob Gordon,
passed away. Bob and Kevin were actually longtime friends, so many of those who
were closest with Kevin were also very close with Bob. It is beyond difficult
to have to say goodbye to these two irreplaceable young men in such a short
span of time. After Bob’s passing, we shared a quote from an unknown author
that we wanted to share again because it also captures how we feel about Kevin.

“When someone dies young, they stay young in your memory. If
he burns brightly before he dies, his brightness shines for all time.”

Kevin will always be remembered by everyone here at ASD as a
bright and shining soul who will be missed dearly by everyone who had the
privilege to know him. We are all so thankful for the time we got to spend
with him.


If you would like us to add a photo or remembrance of Kevin
to this post, please leave a comment below or send an email to
jess@myASD.com.


About The Author

Jess Farren (Fowler)


Jess Farren (Fowler) is a Public Relations Specialist and Staff Writer who has been a part of the ASD team since 2003. Jess manages ASD’s company blog and has been published in several funeral trade magazines. She has written articles on a variety of subjects including communication, business planning, technology, marketing and funeral trends. You can contact Jess directly at Jess@myASD.com


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