Collegiate decathlete Thomas A. “Tek” Kleban ’95 Lib, ’95, ’98 MBA Bus earned dual degrees in communications and marketing—and later, his master’s—after a 1989 swimming accident before his senior year left him paralyzed in all four limbs. His brother, Rick, says Tom was the first quadriplegic to complete an MBA program at Smeal College of Business. A tightknit support system helped: His mother, Elizabeth, and health aides accompanied him to college classes and took lecture notes.

Former track and field coach Bill Whittaker says Kleban once set a goal to break Whittaker’s Penn State decathlon record; instead, he set out to become “the best quadriplegic around.” Kleban needed help with everything from dressing to brushing his teeth; a small part of his bicep muscle allowed him to power his wheelchair, phone, and laptop with a hand slap. Yet he refused to give in to his limitations, parlaying his business degree into a job as a financial research analyst and pursuing his passion of coaching track and field at State College Area High School, his alma mater. “He was just always very positive, never negative,” Whittaker says.

A hard worker with a coach’s analytical mind and leadership skills, Kleban had a knack for connecting with people of all ages. “Tom was a confidant not just to me, but to a lot of people,” says sister Patty Klaus, also a high school track coach. “He was just a guiding force.”

Kleban (Track/Cross Country), 56, died March 30, 2024, in Boalsburg. More than 1,000 people attended his wake. He is survived by his mother, four siblings, and many nieces and nephews. —Meri-Jo Borzilleri