Milwaukee native and NBA and NHL executive Caroline Klein died Aug. 20 due to complications from a rare form of cancer at the age of 40.
Klein, who attended Divine Savior Holy Angels High School, was the chief communications officer at Smith Entertainment Group. She was promoted in 2024 from her CCO role with the Utah Jazz of the NBA and the Utah Mammoth of the NHL.
Klein asked her family to post a message on LinkedIn following her death.
She wrote, in part, “Instead of wasting any time obsessing about how not to die, I spent my cancer journey focusing on how to live the fullest life as much as I could control. And boy, did I live. As my sister said, I drove an F1 car full speed the entire time from diagnosis to death, seeking laughter, beauty, love, joy, adventure, and awe at every turn, and soaking up every possible moment with the people I love the most.”
Klein graduated from DSHA in 2003 before earning a degree in magazine journalism, communications at Boston University.
In 2023, DSHA named Klein its alumnae of the year.
“We all have the ability to make a difference but it’s up to us to decide what that difference will be,” Klein said, via www.dsha.info. “DSHA empowered me to figure that out in a way that was true to my passions and who I wanted to be. I was given so many opportunities, learned to be passionate, had the freedom to explore a variety of creative outlets, and learned the power of sisterhood. We need strong women in the world and DSHA continues to facilitate that and show current students what is possible for them.”
She also said her favorite place in the world was the Klein family lake house in Hartland.
Klein began a career in public relations in 2007, working in New York, Chicago and Newport Beach, California before joining the Jazz in 2022.
Caroline’s background in basketball began at an early age, as her father Dennis founded the Wisconsin Warriors (now Playground Club) AAU team in 1992, a club she played for. Its alumni include about 60 professional basketball players across the globe and a handful that went on to play in the NFL.
Caroline Klein held the CCO title with the Smith Entertainment Group (SEG) Foundation after she was promoted from her CCO role with the Jazz and Mammoth.
All three organizations are owned and operated by SEG.
In a statement released on Aug. 22 on NHL.com, SEG chairman and CEO Ryan Smith said, “Utah lost a legend (Aug. 20) in the passing of Caroline Klein. She was truly one of a kind. (Ashley, my wife) and I and the rest of the SEG team will miss her every single day.”
In her time in Utah, the foundation awarded over 100 scholarships and Klein spearheaded the development and creation of streaming services for the NBA and NHL teams. She also led a documentary project for the Jazz’s 50th anniversary season. Klein was also part of the NBA’s Social Justice Coalition, which is the league’s advocacy arm for social justice initiatives.
“I want everyone to remember me for the way I lived, not the way I died,” Klein wrote. “And with that in mind, will you do me a favor? Keep asking yourself “why not?” and “why wait?” and pursue all of your dreams with an unapologetic determination. We only have one life to live, and it’s on you to live it to the fullest. So please, try to see every day as a license to LIVE, not just pass the time.”
This story was updated because an earlier version was missing some information.