Huntington's Kline siblings honor late father by wearing his No. 19
Grace Kline and Tommy Kline both, varsity Huntington lacrosse players, wear No. 19 in memory of their father, Greg Kline, on Wednesday, April 30, 2025 in Huntington. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Tommy Kline was 13 and Grace Kline all of 12 when the unthinkable happened. Their beloved dad was gone, just like that, on his 50th birthday.
How did these kids from Huntington cope with a loss that devastating that soon in life?
With a lot of caring help.
“I had friends who had a similar experience before me, so they really helped me just work through it,” Tommy said, flashing back to Greg Kline’s passing in August of 2020. “It was really just my family and friends who were there for me . . . I mean, it was tough. You had to get through it.”
Grace, like Tommy, older brother Mikey and mom Melissa, managed to push through the immense pain and sadness, too.
“I had my amazing family and friends to just help me get through that horrible time period,” Grace said. “[It was] basically really knowing that this grief is going to stay with me forever, but over time, it’s just going to get better because there are so many things to be grateful for in life and I’m just grateful with the moments I did have with him.”
These days, Grace is a sophomore reserve on attack for the Huntington varsity girls lacrosse team and Tommy is a standout senior midfielder for the boys team. And as Mikey did before them with that Blue Devils boys team, they honor their father’s memory at every game. They wear his number from when he played lacrosse for Huntington and UMass.
Greg Kline during his Huntington lacrosse days Credit: /Kline family photo
No. 19 on their jerseys is a special way for them to say all that he meant to them and to remind everyone of his legacy.
“Wearing No. 19 means I’m playing for something way bigger than just myself and my playing time,” Grace said. “It really represents just like my dad’s character and his values and just the way he lived his life. It’s more of a message to be the opposite of selfish and to play in his name, which means to just put others first and worry about my teammates first rather than being worried about how I’m going to play or how many times in a game I’m going to play.
“The No. 19 is a reminder that anybody, no matter what kind of relationship that they had with my dad, that they can carry the same mindset. It’s about staying relevant and living with a purpose and not looking at life as a timeline and to just live within that time.”
Her dad’s No. 19 originally stemmed from his dad, Roger, being born on April 19.
Greg’s job was in finance. He was also such a sturdy pillar in the Huntington community.
He coached Tommy and so many others in the Huntington Village youth lacrosse program, was president of the Huntington Lacrosse Alumni Association and devoted extensive time to the Wounded Warriors organization and other charities for veterans.
His motto came down to three words: “Get Busy Living.” The Huntington native suffered a heart attack while away with friends on a trip to Cape Cod, Tommy said.
“Doing stuff for the community and giving back was extremely important [to him],” Melissa said.
There’s now a foundation in Greg’s name that benefits vets and the community. There are other players he coached currently in college wearing No. 19 in his honor as well.
“Wearing 19 is a privilege, I would say,” said Tommy, who also wore it proudly for the Blue Devils in football as a receiver/defensive back. “When you wear that, you carry on your back the good name of the family and the legacy. You want to keep it going in a strong way.
“So you try your hardest, lead your team, always be positive and be an all-around leader when you’re wearing that number on your back.”
The family tradition
Melissa met Greg when they were students at Huntington, both lacrosse middies from the Class of 1989. In fact, she was on the first girls lacrosse team there.
“We always ran in the same circle,” she said. “We were always friends, and after college, we reconnected in New York City.”
She has appreciated the town’s support since his death.
And she can see that No. 19 has been a good fit on all three of their kids.
“It’s amazing because it’s a constant connection to him,” Melissa said. “It’s still a shock to believe that he’s not here, but he is in so many ways . . . I feel proud that they’re wearing 19. They have incredible athleticism, but they play with Greg’s heart and tenacity and drive.”
Tommy Kline (19) of Huntington centers the ball to Luca Cuozzo during the first minute of overtime of a Suffolk Division I boys lacrosse game against Smithtown East in Huntington on Thursday, April 10, 2025. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Julian Watts also loves that Tommy wears 19. The Huntington boys lacrosse coach feels it’s “great for the tradition of the family.”
“The number kind of represents grit and determination, just a scrappy player, and that’s exactly how Tommy plays,” said Watts, who wants to issue No. 19 to that type of player going forward.
“. . . It’s one of the things you never want to experience as a family, but Tommy carries himself in a manner where he had to grow up pretty fast and he’s handling the responsibility. He’s definitely playing with something more.”
Freshman year, he missed the first few weeks of the JV lacrosse season due to a heart condition before being cleared.
Tommy got moved to the varsity after two games and became a four-year starter. He said that there is “nothing to be worried about” with his heart and that he has “no limitations.”
He has certainly been an impactful two-way middie. He had 16 goals and 18 assists for a team that was 9-2 team through Thursday’s play.
The girls team, meanwhile, was off to an 11-1 start. Grace had four goals and two assists. It’s an experienced group, and so she has been getting a limited amount of time in her first varsity season. But that time comes with an edge.
Grace Kline of Huntington wears #19 in memory of her father pictured here at a practice on Wednesday, April 30, 2025 in Huntington. Credit: Dawn McCormick
“She plays fiercely, whether that’s just her natural demeanor or because she’s wearing that number and knows that it’s something bigger than herself,” coach Katie Reilly said. “But she’s feisty out there, and we love it.”
“Losing your father so young is obviously an unimaginable pain,” Reilly added. “. . . I think everyone in the Huntington community is really good about keeping his legacy alive.”
One way came last May.
The Kline family made a donation for a new flagpole to go up in Greg’s memory at the high school. It’s 50 feet tall and stands at a common point near the baseball field, Alumni Field and Blue Devil Stadium.
“It means a lot,” Tommy said. “It’s like a reflection of him. Whenever we’re playing, he’s always above us.”
Grace said that “you have to remember that when you look at the flag and you’re saying the Pledge of Allegiance that you should think of him and what he’s done and how he loved his community.”
There is a flagpole amid the athletic fields at Huntington High that stands in honor of the late Greg Kline, a former Huntington lacrosse player. This is the proof for a bronze plaque to be mounted on an 800-pound memorial rock that will soon sit by the flagpole. Credit: Courtesy Melissa Kline
Future plans
Mikey plays for RPI, where he’s a sophomore midfielder. He has been wearing No. 6 while waiting for 19 to become available. Tommy also wants to wear 19 with his next lacrosse team, Loyola. The D-I recruit plans to be a financial advisor, just like his dad.
Grace doesn’t plan to play lacrosse in college. But she said this is a patriotic family. Her father was so geared toward helping vets.
She’s only 16, but she knows she also wants to “follow in my dad’s footsteps” and honor his memory through a career geared in that direction.
Her tears were flowing now.
“I feel like with him not being here, being a Navy nurse can just represent him,” Grace said. “I know he would be so proud of me if I were to do something like that.”
