RIP
12.05.83 - 06.26.03
"I am Jack's . . ."
BigBob12583: turn to sweet sweet lovin
My *twin*, our pimp, our angel - you and everything you stood for will be in our hearts forever.
-The Great Gatsby
Some people really do have a gift to spread happiness wherever they go. It might sound like an exaggeration, or something of a skewed reflection, but Bob Hysell really did possess that incomparable gift. Those who didn�t know him always saw him as the quiet smart kid . . . but those of us who were close to him were able to benefit from every ounce of his amazing sense of morality, his incredible intellect, and his unique charm. When he moved to Oakland from Rochester during our sophomore year of high school, we had no idea what we were in for. Our extended group of nerds and nonconformists pulled him in, and made sure he knew how lucky we were to have Bobert in our midst. He used to say Jersey corrupted him; but to Bob, corruption wasn�t the usual mix of rebellion and delinquency. To Bob, corruption meant bringing out his amazing sense of humor and wiping away his social inhibitions.
Bob was on his way back to my house when the accident happened. He was coming to join us for a usual game of pool. This tall, thin blond boy used to say that I, a stubby, freckled brunette, was his twin because of all the things we had in common. We shared the honor of salutatorian, but I could never aspire to compare myself to his level of brilliance, charisma, open-mindedness, and stability. Whenever we were around him, we all know that we were in the presence of greatness. You think of his smile, and of looking into his crystal blue eyes, and know that angels exist.
We will all remember him, as he wanted, for the countless fond memories of the last few years: our Toga Party Junior year, our group trip to Italy last summer, our countless pool games, our late night philosophical conversations, our plans to change the world. Bob was going to achieve so many things. He was worth so much more than just the salutatorian of the class, and the freshman Presidential Scholar at Villanova . . . more even than the ceaselessly charitable human being that used to go with Kristen to help out at the mission in Haiti during the summer. He was so talented in so many ways, and yet his modesty was always clear. I have been speaking with many of the people who he touched by merely being their friend or acquaintance. All I have heard are endless accolades of this one person who we can really say made a difference.