Dwayne was 16 years old when he passed away, and while we may think that is too young, I do want to assure you that he lived quite the life in those 16 years. He marched to the beat of his own drum, and he was always true to himself. First of all, he was a giver. There are so many people who have stopped me to tell me about how Dwayne gave of himself just to make another person’s day better. You can only imagine how I feel knowing that he continued that even as his life ended. Dwayne also loved (and lived in) the theatre. He loved all of Andrew Lloyd Webers’s musicals and starred in a few himself. He loved music and eccentric clothing, so I hope those things will (somehow) catch his recipients’ eyes as well. In addition to musicals, he was also an enormous fan of Marvel and the Avengers. If they had a new movie coming out, you can bet that Dwayne purchased his (and his friends’) tickets before the release date. He loved to be there right away and know exactly what happened. Dwayne was also very independent. He started his first job at Culvers when he was 14 years old. He loved to make (and spend) his own money. He LOVED shopping on Etsy and Amazon the most. He had so many items ‘saved for later’ that it was comical. The most important thing to know about Dwayne is that he LOVED hard and he was so LOVED by everyone who knew him. His peers continually referred to him as a bright spot in their day; he made so many people’s days better just by offering an encouraging word, giving them a hug, finding exactly what they needed, or maybe sliding them a free shake at Culvers. He truly left a hole in our hearts and lives.
