Jack was one of my best friends. The Jack I initially met was in 4th grade at Southside Elementary. I thought he was a bit of a nerd at the time, as he was phenomenal at chess and math (and horrible at spelling). He has always been incredibly intelligent. Once we got older, we spent the majority of our free time being hooligans exploring Siesta Key or taking the boat out. There isn't a memory from middle and high school that doesn't include that classic Jack laugh. He never had a problem making people smile, always asking how everyone's day was and cracking jokes. He radiated joy wherever he went.

Jack made it out to visit me in Colorado my first summer here, along with Ben and Mike. We decided to do a rafting trip on a section of the Colorado River. I thought it'd be funny to throw the three of them in a boat together to figure it out on the run. As they entered the canyon and started to take on larger waves, Mike barked orders from the back and aggressively attempted to steer. Ben was doing his best to follow Mike's plea for help, slapping at the water. Jack on the other hand couldn't stop giggling, telling Mike to take it easy and paddling to his own rhythm. It was a hilarious image, watching them pinball down the river with faces full of fear, except for Jack who had an ear to ear grin the whole time.

Anybody who spent time around Jack saw the beauty in his soul. It was never a question whether he had your back or not. I'm forever grateful I got to have Jack as a friend. My love goes out to Laura, Steve, and Ellie.