Yo… Cuzin! I just left your 53 Birthday/Life/Memorial celebration and have to say, however sad it was for everyone, it showed how much you were loved. Crystal and the family did an amazing job putting it together and it really did feel like an event you would have been proud of. It was great seeing and hearing from all the people whose lives you impacted. How you were this bright shining star to all of them. I wished I had stood in front of them all and told them all the stories that we shared. Like how we discussed and debated everything, or how our families would get together, print some shirts (you always made time for us), grill some delicious food and have game nights, or how every time, no matter if it was 2pm or 2am, I used to pull-up to you and Joel’s old apartment on the 3rd floor, I could hear the music blasting all the way down in the parking lot, or how we laid on the highway for 20-30 minutes at 1am on our way to Sturgis just to watch the stars because it was such a clear night sky, or about driving back through a blizzard from the Zumiez event in Keystone, CO at 12am and not getting back to Denver until 4am, or the surprise of seeing Ludacris at the other Zumies event, or how you came with me to the Starz 10yr anniversary party in Winter Park and won the snowboarding event and the crazy “R” rated story that followed, or how we thought your car got stolen after painting at last years Pride event, only to find out the next day that it was towed to some random spot, or about all the late night paint sessions (to many to count) at the Buckingham shop that lasted til 2-4am and how I had to always go find and wake you from napping on the benches in the middle of the mall so we could complete all the cheer-leading orders, or how you tried chased down the people who were breaking into my car at 2am outside Buckingham, or the many, more stories that we shared.

The story I cherish most is how I was walking through Buckingham Mall and past the shop I had worked at one year prior and saw this large “Yoda” painting. I came in to check it out further and met you, this charismatic and super friendly cat that had just taken over the shop. We talked for a solid hour about how we both airbrushed, worked at that location and were both Star Wars nerds. You then told me to bring in my portfolio and after seeing it took a chance and gave me a shot as a part-time airbrush artist. That led to the next 10 yrs of us painting anything and everything that came through those doors. Over the course of those 10yrs Olga and I always covered the shop on Sundays so you could have a day to yourself. However, more times than not you would make your way into the shop to grab the deposits, drop off supplies or pick up your wallet that you always forgot to put in your pocket. I really think you just came in to check up on us, ha! Anyway, as I was generally already painting something, you would always and inevitably get approached by a customer and they would ask you to do or paint something for them. After a few minutes of conversation with them you would always says to them… “look, I’m sorry but I’m not even supposed to be here today.” (cue Dante Hicks from Clerks) You would eventually get me to handle it for them so you could continue on with your day. This happened hundreds of times over the years. To the point of us, your OG Igor’s T-shirts fam, Joel, Tony, Tommy, Blarsky and myself always ribbing you about it. And to that point my friend, my fellow Star Wars nerd, my confidant, my boy, my brother… “look, I’m sorry but we’re not even supposed to be here today!”

I still can’t believe you’re gone. Love and miss you brother!