I’ll always remember those times you and your brother would always go to my house after we got home from school. You were honestly the best childhood friend I ever had. I was ten the last time I saw you. In your last day, I vividly remember you coming to my house, announcing you were moving. I remember watching you, your brother, and sister playing in the front yard as yall were getting ready to move out and watching yall leave. I always regretted not going up to yall and saying goodbye one final time. Up until I found out you tragically died, I was holding on to hope that we would see one day, but sometime things aren’t meant to be. I’m sorry about what happened to you. Whenever I found out about you, I was completely heartbroken and in disbelief. I love you and I hope to see you on the other side.

From your former neighbor, David 

Avery was an adventurer. He was partially born in the car on the way to the hospital, as if he wanted his very first breath to be an adventure. Fearless and one of a kind, he constantly amazed us with his willingness to try new things.

It was as if he wasn’t afraid of anything, and he lived life entirely on his own terms. At just 15 months old, he broke his pinkie by slamming it in a door. When he was in elementary school, we received countless calls about him wearing his hoodie backward or walking around the classroom in April saying, “Ho, ho, ho!” We never knew what to expect with Avery, and that made life with him endlessly entertaining.

He surprised us all by joining the army, deciding at the last minute to become a Military Intelligence Linguist. With barely a day’s notice, he aced a language test his recruiter called one of the hardest the army offers. He headed to Monterey, California, to study Korean at the Defense Language Institute. Avery was always so smart and creative, and this felt like the perfect fit for him.

He was willing to go anywhere and try anything. He walked more than most people ever would—over 70 miles from San Antonio to Austin and another 70 miles from Columbus to Dayton. He took a bus to Boston, capturing beautiful photos along the way, and he made it to Yellowstone National Park through a mix of walking, bus rides, and hitchhiking. His adventurous spirit had no limits.

Avery was funny and sweet and happiest when he was with his siblings. No matter what he said to the contrary, our home was filled with joy and laughter when we all played Trivial Pursuit or simply sat around the table sharing a meal. No one will ever fill the place he holds in our hearts.

When he graduated from army basic training, he asked for only three things: his family, a can of Monster, and a Twinkie. That’s just who Avery was—easygoing, happy with simple joys, and a lot of fun to be around.

His love for Taylor Swift and his unfinished goal of folding 1,000 origami cranes will stay in our memories forever. Our hearts ache for the future we won’t have with him, but we are endlessly proud of all that he accomplished in just 19 short years.

Avery was our bright star, and his light will shine forever in the hearts of everyone who knew and loved him.