At First Glance | What Matters

Max Starkloff was a giant of a man, especially in the eyes of his family. When he was in his early 20s, a near-fatal car accident left him quadriplegic and living in a nursing home. It was there that he met his future wife, Colleen Kelly Starkloff.

Over the years, Max became an activist, a loving husband, and a wonderful father to three children. After his passing, Colleen came to StoryCorps with their daughter, Meaghan Starkloff Breitenstein. The two discuss how Colleen and Max first met, and the warmth and love he brought into their lives.

Directed by
Richard O’Connor

Executive Producers
Dave Isay
Rachel Hartman

Producer
Savannah Winchester

Senior Audio Producer
Jasmyn Morris

Audio Produced by
Liyna Anwar

Supervising Sound Recordist
Vanessa González-Block

Audio Mixed By
Jarrett Floyd

Animation by
Ace & Son Moving Picture Co., LLC

Character Design
Taisiya Zaretskaya

Background Design
Laura Yee

Animators
Natalie Greene
Taisiya Zaretskaya
Laura Yee

Original Music
Joshua Abrams

Music Performed by
Joshua Abrams
Hamid Drake
Marquis Hill
Emmett Kelly
Adam Thornburg

Music Mixed by
Joshua Abrams
Neil Strauch

Outro Music by
“Filing Away” by Blue Dot Sessions
From the Album Crab Shack
Published by Blue Dot Sessions

Special Thanks
Meaghan Starkloff Breitenstein
Colleen Kelly Starkloff

In Partnership with
American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress
NPR
POV

Funding Provided by
Corporation for Public Broadcasting

A private corporation funded by the American people.

Copyright © StoryCorps 2021. All Rights Reserved.