While I have a ton of memories of Craig Decker flooding back (like the way he walked crookedly on one foot, ruining his shoes, or the time he and Mark kidnapped myself and Tannie for the new drummajor breakfast, or the time he took me bungee jumping, or when he lifted me up at a really hard time in my life with bouquet after bouquet of orange flowers, asking me to homecoming, or our pictures from that dance that somehow turned out looking like wedding pictures, which was ironic, because his car had “just married” written all over it (celebrating his parents anniversary… ), the one that has always stood out in my mind the very most, the one that means the more to me than any other, and probably the one he wouldn’t remember, was the time when I was driving him home from school (along with some other kids, I don’t even remember who else, though), and he gave me a simple compliment. All he said was, “Jessie, you are one of the most genuinely nice people I’ve ever met.” Nothing fancy or big, but made me feel so great. And since that time, when I’ve had bouts of hardship, and not felt like being very nice, I try to think back to that simpler time, and remember how I would’ve responded to such situations then. And that was just Craig’s way–rarely a harsh or mean word slipped from his mouth, and even though he had more to deal with in his 25 years than most people probably do in a lifetime, he kept that same great enthusiasm for life, and kindness for all he came in contact with.

You will be missed, Craig.