Long-time Grand Ledge schools athletic trainer Heather Kleiman dies

GRAND LEDGE - Heather Kleiman, athletic trainer at Grand Ledge High School for the last 18 years, died Monday from complications related to blood clots, according to school district officials.

Kleiman had worked for Grand Ledge Public Schools since 2004, according to a statement from district Athletic Director Steve Baker and posted to the school district's website Wednesday morning.

"Heather was home for the holidays with her family in Escanaba when she became ill and was transferred to a Green Bay hospital," Baker said in the statement. "As the longest-serving athletic trainer in mid-Michigan, Heather's dedication to our student-athletes and coaching staff was unmatched. This is a tremendous loss for our Grand Ledge school and community."

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Kleiman "always put the best interests of student-athletes at the heart of everything she did and was recognized locally as a leader in her profession," Baker said.

"She was very good very friendly and everywhere all the time because she was serving so many students and she did it competently," said John Ellsworth, the school district's director of communications.

Contact Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @GrecoatLSJ .

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Long-time Grand Ledge schools athletic trainer Heather Kleiman dies