Here one with him with my son who will turn 21 in March. He was always a good uncle to my kids.

This was the last time we saw him in person. He had been living in a nursing home for last three years. With him is my middle son.

Though we couldn’t visit often (we live so far away) I spoke on the phone with him almost everyday.

I will miss him, he was best friend a guy could ask for. Won’t ever have other like him.

  • Gork@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    79
    ·
    3 days ago

    Sorry for your loss. He looks like a genuinely happy man. I don’t know if many of us could say the same.

    • Fredselfish@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      52
      ·
      3 days ago

      Thank you, he was always laughing and joking. Some of my best jokes I learned from him. I mean his only downside was you couldn’t talk seriously with him, he find a way to laugh and joke. But that was the best part about my friend. No matter what when you were feeling down he find a way to lift you up. I love that man and will miss all the laughs we had. I will miss the crazy shit he would pull.

      • KnightontheSun@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        11
        ·
        2 days ago

        Sorry about your friend, OP. Can you give us one of his best jokes? Or one that you cherish? Or both? ;) I promise I’ll use it to help keep his spirit with us.

        • Fredselfish@lemmy.worldOP
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          22
          ·
          edit-2
          2 days ago

          Guy is sitting on a porch and he sees his neighbor with a roll of chicken wire. Guy asked where he is going. Man says “going to catch some chickens, want to come?” The guy thought this was ridiculous and declined. But hour later neighbor returned with three chickens.

          Next day neighbor is walking down the street with roll of ductape. Guy asked where he going. Neighbor replied “going to catch some ducks, what to come?” Again guy thought this was ridiculous and declined. But hour later he returned with three ducks.

          So next day neighbor is passing by with a bit of pussy willow under his harm. Guy calls out, “Let me grab my hat.”

          • KnightontheSun@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            6
            ·
            2 days ago

            I like it! Thanks Fred’s Friend! I will retell this to my cow-orker now. … He chuckled and said “Ba-dum-tishhhh!”

            • Fredselfish@lemmy.worldOP
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              6
              ·
              2 days ago

              Thanks it was his go too. He recite it at least once a year. He had others but I will keep a few for later use.

  • NineMileTower@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    42
    ·
    3 days ago

    My friend died when we were 21 in 2008. It might feel like they are gone, but we carry them with us. They will never truly leave us.

      • NineMileTower@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        28
        ·
        3 days ago

        He was killed in Iraq. A bridge that his armored vehicle was crossing gave way after three other Army Humvees had just crossed. The Humvee crashed upside down into 6 feet of water in a canal. All four soldiers inside drowned.

          • NineMileTower@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            23
            ·
            3 days ago

            There’s nothing much more to say. However, if I could tell myself something back then, it would be to talk to someone professional about it. A lot of things in my life went bad after that and I didn’t know that it was the stem of my issues.

    • Fredselfish@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      39
      ·
      edit-2
      3 days ago

      Thank you me too. Met him when I was 19. We both worked at the same plant and we hit off. 26 years of memories wish I could’ve gotten more. Funny we all joke he wouldn’t make it to 40, neither of us thought we would. But he almost made it to 50. Before last year when he got really bad, he joked that he was going kick death ass why he kept living. But 2024 he was done fighting and last two months all he talk about is how he wanted to die. I hate covid and I will blame the Republicans and Trump for this.

      They didn’t take it seriously so he didn’t take any precautions and when he got it, well you see the results. He was prime target for it killing him. He was over weight, diabetic. Yet he kick it ass for almost 5 years. I believe if not for covid he still be with us. We be planning an adventure.

  • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    20
    ·
    edit-2
    3 days ago

    I’m sorry for your loss homie, but I’m right here with you. I lost my best friend and housemate very suddenly (suicide) two weeks ago today. If you have anything to memorialize them, to remember their spirit. I asked everyone for pictures and put this together to try and remember Kai: https://files.catbox.moe/o1sk7y.mp4. It may not be much but if you can capture their spirit. It gives you a candle to hold.

    • Fredselfish@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      12
      ·
      3 days ago

      I am creating a podcast in his honor. We going sit back and go over all the crazy stories and memories we had with him. Sorry for your loss. My friend died after almost 5 years of the side effects of covid. That was a nice tribute you did for your friend.

  • RagnarokOnline@programming.dev
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    12
    ·
    3 days ago

    Thanks for posting this, friend. Friends are the family we choose, and it looks like you two were family.

    Wish you a swift journey as your grief blooms into an even deeper appreciation for to is man who is your friend.

    • Fredselfish@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      2 days ago

      Yeah I called him my brother from another mother. We spent many pf family dinners together and his was always welcome in my moms home. And my younger brother roommate with him for couple of years when my brother was going through a divorce. He always welcome us into his home as well.

      • RagnarokOnline@programming.dev
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        2 days ago

        Sounds like one of the friendships that people really cherish. You must also be a friendly person to attract someone like him. Thank you for being that kind of friend.

  • TranscendentalEmpire@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    11
    ·
    3 days ago

    Sorry for your loss, but thanks for sharing. To me the toughest thing about reaching middle age has been the friends I’ve lost along the way.

    Time goes by so fast now that it can be hard for me to find a moment of contemplation to think about the people I wish i had spent more time with. After work today I’m going to have a beer and think about my friends and yours

    Cheers.

    • Fredselfish@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      2 days ago

      Thanks last few days have been me doing same thing. Wishing I gone to see him more and not allowed work and life keep from making the time. Life to short to be working myself to death for no reason.

  • dohpaz42@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    9
    ·
    3 days ago

    Damn op. Going hard on a Friday. But seriously, my condolences. It sounds like you had a genuinely good friend/brother. My heart goes out to you and your family, as well as his family. 💙