The greatest and warmest memories I have of your dad all center on his innate ability to bring support and light into any space he entered.  My most vivid memories of your dad are rooted in swim meets. Your dad’s encouragement to not only Sam but to her friends and teammates helped make those stressful moments on the block and in the water less scary. He was very intense about tracking progress and times, and he always had a report for how we were doing. Within that intensity, you could see his passion for motivating us and encouraging us to work towards goals and to challenge ourselves. As you may have experienced, you can sometimes hear people cheering you on while you are swimming, especially as you near the wall to make your flip turn. From one meet, I have a distinct memory of your dad and my dad standing at the end of my lane with their mouths open, arms flailing, working so hard to help me mentally push me through that water. Those moments of strength are what helped me keep pushing on, even as my arms grew tired and my breaths grew shorter. Your dad also coined a nickname that I have kept since the day he said it, or more so screamed it, as I swam as fast as I could: “Go Megnut, gooooooooo! Reach!” I hold those bursts of excitement close and every time I think of that nickname, I smile.

When he passed away, Sam and I were in fifth grade. We were young enough to have not truly experienced the impact of death, but old enough to recognize its immense pain and feeling of loss that follows in its wake. However, in spite of the grief and disbelief, I remember your dad’s celebration of life as an event in which we truly did celebrate the person I remember as your father. We cried, we laughed, and we sang along to the fantastic music that he loved. I will always remember his unyielding support and his continuous encouragement to do your best; I am forever grateful to have known your father and your family.