Todd and I were 8th Graders.  I had moved about a quarter of the way through the academic year from South-East Denver, Place Jr. High, where I had lived with my mom, to come and live with my dad on the west side of town, i.e. his house in Arvada.  But in reality, I lived with the Zopf's, at their house all week, and it was wonderful! Everyone in the family was so very nice to me, and they all treated me better than I had ever been treated before.  Everyone was also so very much fun, had whit, were humorous and each person, absolutely outstanding!  It was heaven for me, and this safe heaven came at a critical time in my development.  Mostly I spent my time doing my own thing or being with and hanging out with Todd and/or Troy.   These two guys were not only my friends, they were my best friends, and not only my best friends, but my life long best friends, and for that remainder of that year at Manning, pretty much my only friends.  They always treated me so wonderfully well, it is just so amazing and rare.  They have real  love for me, and I am so eternally grateful.  I have been so amazingly blessed through my friendship with them.  In all my life, Troy only had harsh words for me once, and it was only for a minute. Likewise, Todd and I only got in to one minor scuff for our entire lives, and looking back it was really funny.  These guys, they had your back.  They kept your best interests at heart.  They protected you. 100% honest always, and you can trust them with anything. Not only are their intentions pure having the highest levels of integrity, but also they have good judgement, as they know how to get things accomplished effectively and properly.  They are fantastically generous too, not just spiritually and emotionally boosting you and making sure that you are feeling OK, but materially as well. Starting in that 8th grade year, and all the way through high school 95% of anything physical that I possessed or that I wore, were items that they had given to me, i.e. were items that had flowed from them to me generously.  Words can not express how significant they both have been in my life, and in my good fortune in having been and being close with each  of them individually and collectively.  Losing Troy leaves a void in my being that nothing can replace.  Only the memories of this fine gentleman, remembering his mannerisms and his charm, how he laughed, his generous forgiving heart, am I then restored and strengthened to face the world again.  It is a tragedy for each one of us in losing Troy, but we each possess a much greater triumph in having known him and in having been close with him and to have been loved by him. I have never witnessed him have a bad bone for anyone.  He was fun, had an easy good nature, and I could always count him to be glad to see me, and he always greeted me with a smile, and he would pull me in, always including me.  And I love Troy, all of us do, and in my case he loved me first, Amen! Thank you Troy.  May God continue to bless and watch over your eternal soul, as you continue to watch over each of us, and as the memories of you continue to bless our lives now and forevermore, Amen