nouvelles - 23/01/2008
Farewell Theo Kjellstrom - États-Unis
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par Theo Kjellstrom
Theo Kjellstrom was a Dog Show Judge. He was one of the founders of many local Kennel Clubs, the member of many more, including a 40+ year membership in the Collie Club of America. He judged all around the United States.
But what he was proudest of, and happiest doing, was judging with his friends overseas. He loved seeing, learning, and talking. Dog Show people the whole world over knew and loved Ted.
This was originally written as the introduction to his planned book. I am very sorry to have to re-write it as a Eulogy.
Farewell, Theo (9/25/25-01/23/08)
Ted Kjellström was a Puckish Curmudgeon. And yes, this is an oxymoron for this was a man of many contrasts.
Ted was familiar to all who read his stories which gave us glimpses of the mesmerizing universe of Purebred Dogs, and Dog Shows around the world. Fascinating as these always are, Ted’s were slightly different as they were presented through the mischievous comments of a beguiling observer of the Human Condition.
Above all, Dr Théo Kjellström, DVM, was a relentless teacher, and, like the best of teachers, he was a determined student. He did not let difficulty interfere with his desire to see, to accomplish, above all to learn. For example, after mastering a workable knowledge of Swedish and German in his 60’s, when over 75 years old, he took up the study of the Spanish Language. Age would not interfere.
This unique determination was honed in childhood. When quite young little Teddy was afflicted with a terrible stutter. In those unenlightened times, children who were different were cruelly taunted and Teddy suffered immeasurably. Yet, at some point in his late teens, Ted told me he consciously said “the heck with it” and determined to not let the stutter hinder him any longer. And when the 2nd World War came and all the boys enlisted, Ted joined the Navy and became (of all things) a radio-announcer! Later in life he traveled the world, judging dog shows and providing lectures and commentary to interested groups. His rascally articles on his dog-show judging adventures were regulars here in Dog News. His determination turned debility with words into a strength.
Ted was a country boy who went to school in denim overalls, sometimes so worn and tight that he could only comfortably fasten one shoulder-strap. Later in life he put on a tuxedo and red bow tie to judge Best In Show at a filmed and televised show on Animal Planet.
He was a small-town kid who became a world-traveler Having spent his entire childhood in rural, tree-filled Rockford, Illinois, as an adult one day he found himself saying “Oh, Brussels,” (said with a sigh,) “I love the city but I’ve been there so many times.”
He was acknowledged and welcomed by multitudes of foreign kennel clubs, but sadly, did not gain normal progression and acknowledgement in his own. In a story all too common, when Ted was denied judging approval for one of the three Belgians, the last breed he needed to complete the Herding group, he stubbornly appealed the decision. He was duly notified that his appeal had been heard and approval was indeed granted. He was then also notified that approval for different breeds in the group had been summarily removed. Message clearly sent: “You will go no further in our ranks.”
Despite this rather overt snub, Ted was always an elegant ambassador for his country, for the AKC, and for the dogs. Oh yes, he frequently twitted individuals or policies; that is, after all, a precious American right and his acerbic comment could sting! But he never disparaged his country’s kennel club when he was representing the USA at any assignment. Why? Because he believed in the core truth behind the purpose of the organization and because he wasn’t going to let any snub or difficulty stop him from doing the right thing. Dr. Kjellström was always the American diplomat in the world of dogs, and this was recognized by his many invitations to judge overseas. Indeed, sometimes different groups in these foreign climes actually scheduled a show around his availability!
Still, Theo was essentially a shy man, uncomfortable in large groups or at formal dinners. One-on-one he was an amazing raconteur, funny, elegant, with an elephantine memory, a Socratic manner and a wonderful, if slightly scatological, sense of humor. (Some of you may remember the “Farting Article” from several years ago.) But put him in a large group, he tended to end up in a corner away from the crowd, quietly observing.
I always found Ted modest in discussing his own accomplishments; though firm in his own knowledge. He told me that he honestly considered himself a true expert on half-a-dozen breeds, maybe 8 or ten and to himself he felt he was still learning every day. Yet, no less than the venerable late Annie Rogers Clark was heard to comment, upon observing Ted judge the group one day, “That man knows Hounds.” Despite his own humble personal opinion, or perhaps because of it, he was regarded by multitudes of foreign kennel clubs as a desirable expert.
I happened to meet up with Ted at the World Show in Portugal in 2002, and as we wandered the enormous pavilion, going from ring to ring to watch various breeds, he was accosted and warmly greeted by many people. He graciously introduced me to each one.
“Here is my old friend Eugene Yerusalimski,” he said, “he was the head of the Russian Kennel Club.”
Then “I’d like you to meet Olga Scheritsa, She’s the head of the Kennel Club in Moldova.”
“This is Vladimir Darycev, from the Lithuanian Kennel Club.”
….Andon Todorov, from Bulgaria… Guiseppe Alessandra, Italy, Paula Heikkinen-Lehkonen from Finland, Zoran Brankovic of Serbia Montinegoa, Hans Lehtinen also of Finland, Carla Molinari, President of the Kennel Club of Portugal, Kari Jarvinen, President of the Kennel Club of Finland….
By the end of the day my head was spinning. I knew that the guy that I’ve had so many conversations with over breakfasts, dinners, or sometimes just a glass of wine was special, but I had no idea that this slender man from Warrenville, Illinois was so widely known and so well-loved all around the world!
Ted didn’t talk about it much, but he was the only American and only the 2nd non-Russian to be awarded the Golden Pin of Merit by the Russian Kennel Club for his services to the world of Purebred dogs, his seminars, his articles and his quest for knowledge and perhaps above all, his friendship with dog persons all over the world, particularly the Russians.
And that, in particular, says what is perhaps most amazing about Ted. He was most interested in judging not because it gave a chance to travel on someone else’s dollar or to be important or to rub shoulders with the flirty or famous but because of the opportunities to learn. Ted would rather stay at someone’s house, and eat family style at the dinner table, sopping up gravy with a slice of bread, than be put up at in a swanky hotel and attend dignified dinners. In nearly all his travels, he took time to do kennel visits, to see different breeds than the usual ones we see here in the United States, to learn of the history of the countries and the peoples. And so we were all able to enjoy the Dog News stories of Ted’s visits to the famous Red Star Kennels in Russia and to the Salt mines in Poland in addition to his adventures in dog-show judging.
Ted loved judging the “rare breeds” in the United States because he loved the unique and unusual and he was a familiar face in the ARBA rings around the country, often flying to California or to Washington DC to judge at their largest shows. At the World Show in Mexico City in 1999 he attended an exhibition of artwork dedicated to the Xoloitzcuintle that was housed in a quiet room off to one side of the arena and spent a merry two hours with the artist’s son learning more of the history of this unique breed. Once he was invited to judge a Specialty show for the American Bulldogs in the Czech Republic, and Ted spent considerable time before going doing additional research into the breed which included searching through William Faulkner’s books for the passage describing the use of these dogs in their traditional purpose—wild boar hunting. This was described in his 1998 article “Hog Dogs.”
There’s more that could be said about this guy: his lovely and accomplished daughters, his talented ex-wife; his champion hounds and herding dogs, his prize show fowl, his horses and hunting. He was Master of Fox Hounds for his hunt club for twenty-five years and a Master of a registered pack of Foot Bassets. Add to that he was a licensed Falconer for the State of Illinois. On his seventy-fifth birthday he went sky diving and three years later worked out on a trapeze at the local circus. His manners were learned in the more elegant times and gentle customs of graceful dinners and cocktails, crystal and wine, fine china, cocktail chatter, parties, good talk and more. He didn’t tolerate rudeness or crudeness much, yet he did love a good earthy chat and sometimes this meant he found himself in unusual situations. You may remember reading about his attempts to retrieve a large bill from a lovely lady’s “alabaster mounds” in the story “Bulgaria.”
He could be cutting in his commentary, but he could also bring a tear to your eye with delicate observations. One of his favorite articles was “Raise Your Glass to Mary Elizabeth” a eulogy to a friend’s prized dog that tugged at the heart of any who had similarly lost a dear canine friend.
But in the end, I must remember that Ted loved above all being a dog show judge. Below is a story about him that epitomizes to me why any of us is involved in Dogs, Dog Shows, and Judging.
It was a rare breed show, and one of the better ones of that genre which still translates into a reasonable-sized fun match by AKC standards. It was held in a forest preserve, the “rings” were vague outlines made by tiny yellow flags on little wire stems. Curiously we humans automatically HONORED that outline, and only entered the ring through the slightly-wider gap obviously representing an entrance. Four rings with a small card-table between each set of two for ribbons, stewards and judges notations. There were about 60 exhibitors, maybe 75 dogs. Two shows each day. A smallish operation and run efficiently by two persons who took entries, answered endless questions and then, still smiling, did duty as ring stewards for two rings at a time.
I hadn’t entered the show, but I was friends with a couple of the out-of-town judges. We’d arranged that after the second Sunday show, we would have a late lunch and a chit-chat before they began their long drive back home.
Thus I found myself seated at a picnic table on a blustery late October day. It was just cold enough to be uncomfortable, and it kept trying to rain which added a persistent and unpleasantly chilly mist.
As the individual judges finished assignments they gathered under the rough open shelter to trade impressions and to wait, rather wearily for the official word that the event was over. Remember, this was the fourth of four shows, these judges were all of, well shall we say a certain physical maturity. It was cold, they’d all spent two days standing outdoors, they were tired and chilled, and certainly hungry, as breakfast was a long time ago and during the day they’d been fortified only by coffee and a tuna sandwich. We more or less huddled trying to stay out of the wind, idly watching the group judging in the nearby ring.
Suddenly one of the judges, Théo Kjellström, got up. “It’s Herding Group,” he said. “I want to see what the judge does with that Pumi I sent to him.”
I watched him go ringside to stand and watch the Group and then Best In Show judging. In the cold. In the rain (for the mist had grown to a pelting shower). To watch the fourth Best in Show of the weekend. Pretty much the same dogs in had been in contention for the honor every time.
And then the realization dawned on me…this man was absolutely fascinated by the basic process of Dog Show Judging. By that mental chess game where one asks what would I do in the same situation? Or now that I’m taking a second look does the dog look as good? Or what is THIS judge going to do? How will it all play out?
It’s a puzzle with unending combinations. And even at this little rare breed show, even after three iterations in the preceding few hours, it is still compellingly fascinating enough to drive this man to stand on firm legs in a cold, miserable driving rain to watch one more “take ‘em around the ring.”
And that was when I began to have a true appreciation of what keeps real judges going week after week, year after year.
Théo Kjellström was a rare individual: a teacher, a student, a mentor, a challenger-of-the-mundane, elegant, suave, private, proud, difficult to get to know, but once you knew him, easy to love.
I think people need heroes (whether real or imaginary) to encourage themselves to better behavior. I’ve often said that Ted is a hero to me for his love of learning, his knowledge, sense of humor, his classiness, his determination and more.
The Fancy has lost a real Dog Show Judge. Many of us have lost a dear dear friend.
Good bye, Theo.
Respectfully Submitted,
Peggy Wolfe
pegnoca@aol.com
270-365-2527 (home) 270-963-0772 (cell)
1910 HWY 293 N; Princeton, KY 42445
PS: Internment will be private
Condolences may be sent to The Kjellstrom Family C/O Anna Kjellstrom 3914 Delaney Ferry Rd Versailles , KY 40383.
In memory of his 40-year-plus membership in the Collie Club of America, and his judging the National multiple times, donations may be made in Ted’s name to the Collie Club of America Rescue fund.
Even at the end, Ted was working on publishing a collection of his stories with photos and commentary. Look for this to come out some time in 2008.
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