I have a birthday memory involving Garrett.

It must have been May 2017.  For my son Daniel's 21st birthday I planned a surprise party with the help of his roommate Mosier and other OIT friends. Everyone parked their cars away from the house and hid inside. It really worked. Garrett brought a gift that was a homemade stuffed yellow character, possibly Picachu? And a bag of dollar bills maybe. I didn't know Garrett well enough to know if it was just quirky, or had another meaning. During the party Garrett sat on the carpet and built an amazing sculpture out of junk. The following year, Daniel graduated and Garrett took his place at that wonderful little house with Mosier.  Now Daniel and Garrett have both "graduated" and they share a wonderful heavenly home.     Sending love to family and friends on this tender day of remembrance!!

Studying with Garrett was a blessing. We both shared a lot of classes, as we were in very similar programs, so  we were together a lot. Working on homework, working on a lab together, or studying for an upcoming test. In all my time spent with him, I can't think of a single time that he got frustrated, gave up, or was stuck. He was always happy to help others with their work, and loved collaborating. In class he asked insightful questions that not only helped himself, but those around him. He was a joy to study alongside with.

We worked together on our junior project, a wearable glove that could act as a keyboard input device. He did tremendous work on that project, figuring out how critical parts of our project would work (like how to detect fingers touching, and how to communicate over Bluetooth) and that project would have been a lot more difficult without him. He figured out how to use our project to control a remote control car, and during our project demo expo, he would drive that RC car around tables with a grin on his face.

When I look back fondly at the people who made college an enjoyable experience, Garrett was on that list. I remember joking around with Garrett and Kevin Pintong (who we had nicknamed KP) in FPGA classes. I remember his discussions with Douglas Lynn (nicknamed Dougie Fresh), and how insightful and interesting Garrett's question were. I remember studying math together with him, trying to figure out what brilliant way Garrett had solved the one problem I was stuck on. 

I can tell from all the positive memories others have shared, I wasn't the only one who's life was better because of Garrett.

Thank you Garrett for all the paradigm shifts we did together in college.

Loren, you and your beautiful family welcomed my broken heart and injured soul into America. I owe you so much. You helped awaken me to the reality of my family’s painful struggle in leaving our shattered homeland. Every day that passes, every smile I experience can be traced to the gifts of love and blessings your family offered me. You became my friend, my father, my uncle, my adopted Christian Iman. Your family took me into their midst with joy and understanding. I felt your children were as close to me as any “biological” siblings. I loved them. When the bombs blew my home apart I lost my sisters. I lost my childhood dreams. After I was wrenched screaming and crying from Iraq, I became a very lonely angry depressed boy, lashing out at all around me, even those who loved me. Especially those who loved me. I was blinded and deafened by my desperate very personal pain. Your family accepted me and helped me separate the pain and anguish I was feeling and set my face forward toward a constructive positive future. I am forever in your debt.

I had to return to Iraq over the summer, my father’s older brother died suddenly and the resulting chaos temporarily re shattered my life. I returned from Iraq just a few weeks ago and was just getting things back to “normal” and thought about you and your family so I called hoping to talk with you and hear your voice. Don told me about Garret. I fell to the ground screaming and crying. Not only for my loss though I loved him but, for yours. I have spent a lot of time in the past few months in tears over the loss of my uncle. While the news about Garret renewed my sadness it also strengthened my resolve. I am here, I am strong and filled with love, my heart is open to you and yours for anything you need. I love you and Mrs. Becky and I want to see you. I want to hug both of you in person. You showed me that patience, tenderness and vulnerability are not the province of the weak but of the interconnectedness of our shared humanity. Because of your patience and understanding my life is full. I know catastrophic times try our souls. You helped me in my darkest hours, I would like to be a light in yours.

You and your family are always in my prayers. Our faiths are not so dissimilar. They teach lessons about our very imperfect human family. We rise ,we fall, our hearts can break, but this plane of existence is temporary. We must do all we can to bless one another, because life has no script, and we are imperfect. We know that life did not begin here. This world is not the beginning of life, but it is the house of stability and testing. And while we are here, we do our best to be human with one another. You taught me that. I would like to show you how well I’ve learned. I love you, Loren. Come heal with me.

Garrett was one of the nicest, kind hearted people I’ve had the pleasure of crossing paths with. I first met him in the 2nd grade. We were table mates and field trip buddies in 2nd grade. We lost contact for many years until we reconnected in high school. We were never very close in high school, but he was someone that I admired and looked up to. Such a kindhearted, loving, caring, friendly human being. He was a very talented musician, excelling on the French horn and even playing trumpet a little bit. 

I will always remember Garrett and I miss him dearly. 

The past couple months I've been remembering more things about Garrett here and there. One fun memory was at the end of sophomore year, my birthday was on a school day and he and a few other friends found me at every one of my classes and got everyone in each class to sing happy birthday to me :) It was goofy and fun but also made me feel special to have friends who'd do that for me. 

Another thing that's small but was cool is that I've been using the same type of mechanical pencil ever since high school, and I remembered recently that what started it was Garrett gave me one, I think maybe for my birthday or something like that. I remember him saying he was giving me this type of pencil specifically because it's the good kind, and I guess that's been proven since I've kept buying the same ones. When I realized this the other day while I was getting office supplies, it really hit home that every person we know influences our lives in so many ways--some large and some small, some we realize and some we don't. Even in the smallest things Garrett had a positive influence on me, and the more I think about it the more I realize how he made a lasting and positive difference in my life.

I learned a lot from Garrett. I met him in middle school, and we stayed friends throughout college.  I remember Garrett inspiring me to be more physically active, and at one point he had an alarm clock that required him to do mental math to turn it off.  I always wanted to be more like him.  I can now say that I can pretty closely approximate square roots in my spare time, since Garrett and I would do that in middle school.

We shared what we learned about computers with each other all the time.  I remember after getting back from my mission, I was struggling with why my embedded circuit wasn't working.  I reached out to Garrett, and he was totally right about what was wrong (a pin was doing double duty as a serial line and a led driver).

We always talked about religion, and although we rarely saw eye-to-eye, I learned a lot about religion in general, and my own religion from having to answer hard questions.

The biggest thing I learned from Garrett was to always be kind.  He was always kind to me, and I distinctly remember being reprimanded at least twice for speaking unkindly about someone else.  Garrett truly was an example of the Christlike behavior I strive for in my life.

Garrett was one of the smartest, funniest, and kindest people I have ever met, and I will never forget him.  I know I'll see him again, and I hope to be someone he's proud to call a friend.

I miss you Garrett.