Kathleen Klein, 50, Press writer, athlete, who fought cancer

Kathie Klein, a 14-year resident of Ridgefield, died on Wednesday, July 12, after a two-year struggle with cancer. Mrs. Klein was 50 years old.
She was born Kathleen Margaret Andrews on Nov. 28, 1949 in Garden City, Long Island, in New York. She was the second daughter and fourth child of John and Agnes Andrews. After high school she moved to St. Thomas in the U. S. Virgin Islands, where she became vice president of sales and marketing of Aqua-Action Inc., a firm engaged in underwater scuba-diving, exploring marine biology and terrestrial ecology.
She married Kenneth C. Klein in St. Thomas in 1981, and they eventually had two sons. When the children reached school age, she relocated the family to Ridgefield. While raising the children, she was employed by The Ridgefield Press in various journalistic and marketing capacities.
Mrs. Klein was also active in various community service projects, including raising and training seeing-eye dogs for the blind, volunteer work for Center for Hope in Darien, and various outreach volunteer efforts for St. Stephen's Church.
Mrs. Klein was an enthusiastic athlete, engaging in downhill and cross-country skiing, swimming and scuba diving, jogging and running, aerobic and yoga training. She was an avid gardener, a nutritionist, and a voracious reader. She kept a journal and hoped to publish a memoir of her illness and experimental treatments that might have been beneficial to other cancer victims.
She is survived by her former husband, Kenneth Klein of St. Thomas; two sons, Christopher 17, and Casey, 14, both of Ridgefield and St. Thomas; a sister, Mary A. Williams of Ridgefield; and two brothers, John F. Andrews of Chatham, N.J., and James P. Andrews of New Canaan.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in honor of Mrs. Klein's memory may be made to St. Stephen's Church.
A wake will be held at Kane Funeral Home on Friday, July 14, from 5 to 8 p.m.
The Rev. John R. Gilchrist, rector, will conduct a memorial service at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church on Saturday, July 15, at 10 a.m.