Mallory Rose remembers Joey

Even though our friendship didn’t just start this past summer, I will always remember you for summer 2008. Ever since my sophomore year of high school I can remember you being Mr. Funny and making our PIT class laugh along with all the other class clowns. On Sunday mornings, well most of them, your family would be in front and mine towards the back, and when we would have to go up to receive Holy Communion I would have to pass you on my way back to my seat. I would get nervous like a young little high school girl would because you were an upper classman who was good looking and popular. I would think to myself “do I make eye contact and smile or just act like I didn’t see you and maybe chat after church?” Most of the time I got the courage to smile and nod, and make small talk after church. It went like that on Sunday mornings until this past June when our conversation became more in-depth. I was no longer a little sophomore in high school but now a sophomore in college. You weren’t class clown of your senior class, but now a hardworking young man…but still very funny young man. I started to see you more often and loved the conversations we would have, about how life is now, how we couldn’t believe where time has gone because Michelle and Kyle were in high school now. Scary!

Like a lot of people do in our town, I had a little drama at park fete (lol) and can just remember you patting your shoulder and telling me “if you need a shoulder to cry on, cry on me”, you must have said it like 5 times and I'll never forget it because it really meant a lot to me. My summer school Anatomy class was consuming my life and stressing me out, but you were the one to remind me that I was always going to do fine and ace the tests. Your work ethic encouraged me to get through the class. If you could get up at 5am Mon-Fri, I could sure get that A I needed. I will never forget the memories of going to Lake McClure with you and friends (I think that trip beat my houseboat trips to Don Pedro for sure), hiking Pine Crest Lake and going to the San Francisco Baseball game. We couldn’t decide on driving into San Fran or taking Bart, but finally you made the call of driving because you said you loved to drive into the city across the bridge to see everything… so that’s what we did with the windows rolled down and the country music turned up. Hanging out with you this past summer definitely made it a memorable one for me.

It wasn’t meant to go this way, and I still don’t understand why God took you from us. He truly must have bigger plans for you up there. It is hard to move on with life down here and the only thing that is making it a little bit easier, is knowing you are watching all of us from up above. You are my guardian angel; you are my motivation to keep working hard at school and to live life to the fullest just like you did. Because “In a Blink of an eye that is when, I'll be closer to You than I've ever been. Time will fly, but until then I'll embrace every moment I'm given” – Mercy Me

Thank you for all the special memories you have given to me and everyone else. You have truly touched the lives of many people. You were a great son, brother, friend and much more. You will never be forgotten, not a day will go by that I won’t think about you and how you’re watching me, and everyone else down below.

XoXo, Mallory