Colin Andries was truly one of a kind.

He approached his life with infectious joy and boundless enthusiasm that radiated well past his inner circle and poured out onto everyone he encountered. His ability to infuse fun and humor into just about any situation has been a gift to all who had the pleasure of knowing him, even for those whom he may have only just met, and, of course, instantly befriended (After all, to him, there was no such thing as a stranger - only a friend whom he hadn’t yet had the opportunity to get to know). This gift of his has been especially valuable to myself and our two sons, Jack and Hudson, as we witnessed him relentlessly embrace positivity throughout his two-year bout with cancer. I have always said that when Colin came into my life, everything became brighter, happier, a lot more fun, and a lot more fulfilling. I know many of you feel similarly about him, and we can recognize together that our world has become a bit dimmer without him here with us.

If you were to ask anyone who had the pleasure of knowing him, they would tell you that he was the eternal optimist who sought to live his life to the fullest extent. He was intentional with his choices, but always down to try something new. He saw new experiences and new people as both an exciting challenge as well as an opportunity to learn. A brilliant mind, he was never afraid to undertake a challenge, whether professionally or in his personal life. He was strong and confident, but never cocky, encouraging others around him to be the same. During his time in the infusion center, the doctors and nurses often regarded him as an inspiration - though he refused to acknowledge it - due to his unwavering optimism and upbeat alacrity. He’d said that the place had become like his ‘Cheers’ as he knew all the staff by name and they always reserved his favorite chair, and some even admitted that while they weren’t supposed to select favorites, he was beloved by their entire team. We were all so lucky to have Colin bless all of our lives with his unfettered spirit.

As for me, Colin was the true love of my life. When we met fourteen years ago, I’m not even sure I knew what that meant. We quickly fell into a relationship after we started dating, and our entire time together was easy - yes, we put effort into it, but our relationship itself was never work. After four years together, we began our journey as a married couple; supporting each other, challenging one another, and loving each other fiercely. It is a rare thing to find a true partner, but for me, Colin was just that. He made my life better in every way, embodying everything I had hoped for in a husband, as well as everything I didn’t know I needed. He was an example of how to love unconditionally and to show that love by serving others. He was not only my husband and partner, but my best friend, my adventure buddy, my rock, my co-parent, and the absolute best father to our two incredible boys. I knew that when I married Colin, he would be a wonderful example to our children, and I am deeply heartbroken that they won’t get the opportunity to spend more time learning and growing under the guidance of their unforgettable father. We only had these fourteen years together, but I am so grateful that we were able to cram a lot of life, experience, and fun into those fourteen years.

It is a strange and surreal thing to mourn the loss of someone alongside them while they still live, and in many ways, that anticipatory grief was absolutely brutal. But it also gave us a beautiful opportunity to say everything we wanted to say to one another and leave nothing on the table. So I encourage you, say what you need to say to your loved ones while you can; tell them how much you love them. Let Colin’s legacy be to inspire an outreach of love in this world. Colin used to say, “When she said ‘I do, I said ‘I win,” but the truth is, I felt like I was the lucky one…we were lucky to have each other. I know that life will never be the same, but I am a better person for loving, and being loved by Colin. He was the best man I have ever known and I am grateful for the many people in my life that will help me and our boys to continue his legacy of joy and kindness.