29’s too young

So yesterday on Facebook I learned that one of my classmates passed away ten years ago. Crazy I didn’t hear about it until now, but we didn’t really have Facebook ten years ago I guess.

He was known to everybody as Dude. Most teachers even called him Dude. It was always funny the first day of school when teachers ask what name students want to go by. Many teachers were reluctant to call him Dude. Dude was always Dude to everybody. Eventually the teachers understood, but at first many refused to call him Dude. Yesterday when I looked up his obituary, was actually the first time I learned of his real first name.

I wasn’t close to him, but he was a great guy. He was always super nice to everybody. He wasn’t the best student though. I remember him working his ass off towards the end of our senior year just to graduate. I’ll always remember how upset he was when the counselor recommended that he didn’t go to college.

His obituary didn’t mention cause of death, but at 29, I’m thinking it was either suicide or drug overdose. I leaning toward suicide. So sad to see him go so young.