SW grad leaves a legacy in the sunset

Linda Hoover, left, and Allison Kleinfelter relax at the center of Sunset Memorial a park they built as a tribute to Zack Topper, a South Western High School graduate who died in 2006 after a nine-year battle with brain cancer.

[owllady]

What a beautiful story about living and dying.

[pplady]

What a tribute!!! Zach will live on for many!

[hellooo]

This is a tribute to his legacy. His love is still pouring out through the people who loved him. Good job. He would be proud and smiling.

[angel]

good job ladies. Beautiful story.

[Greenman7]

Thank you, Zac, and the entire Topper family for their grace under pressure and their inspiration.

[Hometown Girl]

I am in awe of these beautiful ladies making sure that Zack's legacy lives on forever and forever. I will always think of him when sitting on my porch and watching the sun set.

[Catherine]

What a wonderfully uplifting story in the face of tragedy and pain. You should be so proud that you kept your promise to this wonderful young man.

[Rose Glenn]

Erin, thank you so much for the touching article. You captured the spirit of my nephew and Godson, Zack, so very well and told the story beautifully of Allie's and Linda's hard work to fulfill his legacy.

[noname]

For once a heart felt story anyone who has lost a love one to that aweful disease can relate. I as well lost a sister and my father to that aweful disease Thank-you Iam sure you touch the lives of many today and years to come....

[Andrea]

What a beautiful story. I'm sure that Zack is just as proud of his family as you are of him. God bless you.

[Off Track]

Tremendous story about wonderful people by a wonderful writer. Thank you!

[Ed and Carole Ahrens]

We are so pleased with the article. It truly told the story of Zack. We can't thank Erin enough for the personal touch in writing the article. Zack's legacy continues because of such great work!

[Cheryl Z]

What a mother and what a wife... what astounding women who deliberately worked so hard with so many (including Zack) to assure that his legacy will live on for all of us. This is a moving article, thank you to the author.

[angela]

yes, thank you.

[Common Tater]

Beautiful tribute.

[JustMyHonestOpin ion]

The Memorial is everything that it is said to be. I made a trip there yesterday to see it. It is a very nice place to view a sunset, all flat open lands to the west with nothing to spoil your view.

[michael schaul]

Such a strikingly succinct story of a life well lived.

[Susan Rimby]

I was privileged to know Zack Topper, and to count his mother, Linda Hoover as a dear friend. I'll never forget watching Zack do push-ups by the family's swimming pool just weeks after his first brain surgery. My son had gone over to swim with his friend, David, Zack's younger brother. What a lesson for my learning-disabled thirteen year old. You don't have to let your disability control you!

[Ken and Barb Witmer]

What a beautiful example of lefe and death. It shows the love and devotion that Allison had for Zack. Also, the kind of person that Zack really was in life and even after death claim this young man at the prime of his life. We think everybody can learn from the experience of Zack and Allison.