Dear sweet Allegra, my heart is torn apart. You were such a light and a joy to everyone who knew you. Your contagious smile, your unwavering optimism, your incredible thoughtfulness. Arms that were always ready for a hug. You loved so well and so fearlessly, I wish I could be more like you.

We’ve known each other for 25 years and I’m so grateful for that time together. Birthdays and graduations and baby showers; big life events and small everyday moments. I will always be thankful for the time we had. You lived life well and you’ve been called home. Too early for those of us left behind but we will hold tight to the memories and look forward to being reunited one day.

You were so much to so many and the people you loved will never be the same. I’ll miss you friend 💔 “Because I knew you, I have been changed for good” 

There’s a sacred moment in life—a call to stand with a brother on his journey. When Joseph asked me to be one of his groomsmen, I felt the weight of that invitation. It wasn’t merely about a wedding day; it was a call to walk beside him through every season of his marriage.

Not long ago, we gathered—groomsmen and bridesmaids alike—in a simple, heartfelt meeting. Amid the warmth of that dinner at Buena Fourceta, Allegra, with her radiant spirit, asked me to share my favorite memory of Joseph. After more than twenty years of friendship, my mind did not fix on a single moment. Instead, I saw a tapestry of days filled with laughter, quiet understanding, and Nintendo.

Yet, we live in a broken world.

We had planned to meet on Tuesday, February 11th, but Joseph was nowhere to be found. I sensed something was amiss. Later, our friend Sean shared the devastating news: Allegra died. In that moment of shocking grief and disbelief, I turned to prayer—for Joseph, for the family, for the countless hearts touched by her presence.

Then it all came rushing back. I recalled that cool October evening in Julian when Joseph introduced my family to Allegra around a campfire. He was alive with an excitement that was almost palpable. I later learned that her name meant “joy.” And oh, how she embodied that name. Allegra shone like a beacon; her very presence lit up the darkest corners of the campsite. In every conversation, in every shared smile, she invited you into a moment for connection and discovery.

But what stayed with me most was the way Joseph looked at her. In a crowded room, his gaze was fixed solely on Allegra—as if he were beholding a breathtaking sunset or marveling at a masterpiece of nature. That look, full of enchantment and complete surrender, captured the essence of true love: a moment when the soul recognizes the one its heart longed for and sees no one else in the world.

Now, as Allegra’s light rests with Jesus and we long for the day when Christ will return to reunite us, I hold tightly to that memory. It is a beacon that reminds me of love’s enduring power. And so, Joseph, our family stands with you—I stand with you—as your friend, your groomsman, and your brother in Christ, waiting for the marriage supper of the Lamb.