Three Perspectives on the Passing of Larry Klein

Twenty years of friendship with Larry Klein and I will never feel like I had enough time with this dear, magnanimous soul, whose excitement and energy inspired organizations. Larry forever changed my life, from the moment that we met. I shared a cab with Larry, not knowing who he was and considering him another participant at my first Biofeedback Foundation of Europe (BFE) conference in Berlin. I explained to him that I had traveled from New Brunswick, New Jersey (Rutgers University), with hopes of meeting Bruno Michelis, the sport psychologist for AC Milan. Then I explained to Larry how I was savoring each moment, truly delighting in not only the learning, but also the unique and welcoming energy of the entire BFE organization. As we pulled up to the restaurant in our shared cab, Larry said that he wanted to introduce me to someone. He took me into the restaurant, pulled up a seat for me next to Bruno, and introduced me to him. Larry smiled and whispered, “This is your opportunity.” My heart felt alive with gratitude and an excitement that extended beyond that evening and until the present day. What was so unique about Larry was that he had an unequivocal ability to imprint his own physiological state (abundance, excitement, and passion) in others.Larry was always looking to build, to help, to inspire, and to lead. One of my fondest memories was sitting in the mountaintops in Austria with Larry Klein after a BFE conference in Salzburg, discussing my dream of building a biofeedback lab for the sports teams at Rutgers. Not only did Larry inspire my dreams, he also opened the doors to help me build them. Within two years, he helped me to design and build an athlete biofeedback lab that incorporated Thought Technology equipment and allowed us to train teams, not just individuals. The Rutgers Athlete Biofeedback lab was a direct extension of Larry's mentorship and inspiration. Larry's love for biofeedback was as pure and magnetic as any energy that I have ever met. I admire how genuinely Larry cared for the world and particularly how much he loved his own family. Larry spoke with a sense of magic about his talented wife, Janet, and beautiful daughters. I watched his daughter's wedding live via Zoom and distinctly remember seeing Larry's face radiant with pride as he held his daughter's arm down the aisle. Larry was adept at making his colleagues feel like family, too. I certainly considered Larry as part of my biofeedback family. He considered Hal, Erik, Sue, and many more his extended family and built relationships that lasted multiple decades.—Leah LagosThose who knew Lawrence Klein will remember him for his optimism, enthusiasm, and passion in every part of his life. As an expert skier, he saw no danger—only opportunities—as he conquered the black diamond slopes without fear. He approached his work in the field of bio- and neurofeedback with the same dedication and energy he applied to his sport. He saw possibilities where others saw none, and put his energy behind ideas to allow them to come to fruition.He, more than anyone, supported and co-created the internationalization of bio/neurofeedback. He was the co-founder of the Biofeedback Federation of Europe (BFE). We started the organization together when sharing a room more than 24 years ago in the Netherlands while attending and presenting at the international meeting on stress. Talking until the wee hours of the morning, we brainstormed ways by which biofeedback could be taught in Europe. This led to the founding of the BFE. His unconditional support and encouragement of the BFE created the space so that literally thousands of professionals and students over more than 20 annual meetings could take training workshops and attend the scientific programs. With his big heart, he was always generous to me and my students. At meetings, he would often invite students to join him for dinner and would pick up the meal tab.He was also the co-founder of Thought Technology Ltd. where he worked tirelessly to expand the field and reach of bio/neurofeedback globally from an equipment perspective. As I look around the world—Italy, Holland, Germany, Austria, Japan, Australia, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Mexico, Brazil, and so many other countries—I see evidence of Larry's vision and his mission to support education and growth of the field. This mission included providing energy, hope, and financial support, when needed, to the BFE meeting to ensure it reached its educational goals.Business aside, what I miss the most is our 40-year-long friendship. My skiing improved by trailing after him on the slopes, but more importantly, I continue to miss our late-night discussions and our travels together. It was during these times I got to know a more personal side of Larry and his love for his family. As I look back, I realize that I have spent more time in hotel rooms with Larry than anyone else. I miss his unbridled optimism, a quality that never left him even while he battled COVID. His spirit, enthusiasm, and good cheer were so contagious that even when he became very sick, I continued to think that he would beat this just as he had overcome his many sports injuries, where each time he would come back stronger. Except this time, he did not.A husband, father, partner, businessman, leader, mentor, bio/neurofeedback visionary, athlete, poet, colleague, and friend…he lived his life to the fullest and will be greatly missed by everyone whose life he touched. I am so thankful that he was, and still is, part of my life.—Erik PeperIt has been difficult to experience the demise of a friend of 60 years and my business partner of over 46 years. I met Larry when we were both about 15 years old.In 1974, I was designing a sound-light system for a Montreal Band and there again was Larry, who I hadn't seen for several years. I showed him a prototype of the wooden GSR1, and he said, “That's cool, why don't we market it.” That was the start of Thought Technology.While I spent the next six years designing new devices and attaining doctorate and postdoctorate degrees on pain control, using our biofeedback devices at McGill University, Larry successfully sold our products to psychologists and to consumers through many catalogs, such as Sharper Image and American Express. At the outset, we both agreed that it was important to treat people the way we wanted to be treated ourselves, and that our mission would be to help people learn to help themselves. Consequently, our customers have been incredibly loyal and dedicated. Together we grew the company to become the “gold standard” in biofeedback, eventually with 70 employees, most of whom have been with us for more than 15 years and some up to 35 years.Larry was also a terrific athlete. His primary passion was skiing, and in the early ‘80s we skied together throughout Western Canada and the United States. He always said: “Look two moguls ahead”—which could be the philosophy of his life. He was always looking for new opportunities, especially in sports, which he enthusiastically pursued.At the funeral ceremony, we were all touched to learn so much about his personal life as a loving father, husband to Janet, and friend to so many people.Larry also loved to write poetry. One of the first poems was on the back of our GSR1 biofeedback box. It ended with: “To quiet the mind is to set it free.” I can imagine that Larry is now skiing gracefully from cloud to cloud. I miss him, as do certainly his family and many dear friends in the biofeedback societies, our distributors, and all of us at Thought Technology.—Hal Myers