Who Was Max?
Max was my little brother. He was born two years and four months after me — we both share a birthday on the 4th, which felt fitting, because we shared just about everything.
He was a goofball almost all the time. But when a moment called for seriousness, he met it with full presence. That's a rare combination. Most people are one or the other. Max was both, and he knew exactly when to switch.
We were inseparable. Our whole lives. We were the center of our own fun, our family's fun, our friends' fun. When he was in the room, the room was better. It wasn't something he tried to do. It's just what happened when Max showed up.
He had springy blonde curls as a kid — people remembered them decades later. A smile that a kindergarten teacher still talks about fifteen years after she last saw him. A laugh that made you search for the next ridiculous thing just to hear it again.
He was studying sociology and psychology because he wanted to spend his life helping people. He didn't wait until he had a degree to start. He just did it, every day, without being asked.
Max
The Kind of Person He Was
Unconditionally Kind
He was kind to every single person, no matter who they were. It wasn't selective. It wasn't performative. It was just who he was — woven into how he moved through the world.
A Natural Goofball
His humor was completely his own — odd, out of the ordinary, always scanning for the moment nobody else noticed. He had a gift for finding what was funny about being alive.
Athlete
He played football at West Aurora High School and carried that competitive, team-first energy with him into everything he did after.
Snowboarder
He kept his snowboard boots, goggles, and helmet next to his bed. Colorado was his happy place — Winter Park and Steamboat. He couldn't wait to go back every year.
Movie Collector
He loved movies deeply and had a massive collection. He would make Walmart runs at all hours just to dig through the DVD bins and find something new.
Aspiring Counselor
He was studying sociology and psychology because he genuinely wanted to spend his life helping people. He was already doing it long before he ever set foot in a classroom.
Loyal Beyond Words
He showed up for the people he loved — without being asked, without needing credit, without hesitation. Always.
A Magnet for Good People
Good-hearted people were drawn to him. He had a way of making everyone feel seen — friends, strangers, bank tellers, kids, adults. Everyone who met Max remembered him.