I’ve only know Rad for 4 years, but I can easily say he is one of my best friends. It's very rare to meet someone and right away feel the kindness, care, and love that Rad gave to everybody he met, he makes us feel welcome and comfortable.
Rad let me sleep on his couch almost every night for an entire summer. All he asked for in exchange was to go into the mountains with him, and have real conversations about all the things most people shirk from: family, relationships, emotions, and of course about what our next objective would be in the Tetons.
We would spent late nights on the couch, flipping through guide books and googling for all of the info we could get on a particular route or objective. We watched movies, made a lot of pancakes, and he would make me a smoothie for breakfast before he left for work.
I grew in the mountains with Rad - each of us bringing our own, different and complimentary skills and experience. I had some of the best days of my life with him. We climbed the Grand together, and what I remember most is not the summit, but shivering together in a tent on the lower saddle the night before, making pasta and laughing at our fancy chandelier - made out of climbing nuts and cams.
Rad lent me gear, guidebooks, food, and a bed.
When he would house-sit for friends, I would stay with him at the fancy houses and we would cook a big dinner, drink a beer and hang out with whatever dogs he was taking care of!
Last summer, I introduced him to my girlfriend - now wife - he took her in like she was family. I've never seen someone give a stranger a hug so big. We spent a week on his couch together! Wildfire smoke ruined our mountain plans, but we had an even better time cooking for each other and sitting in the sun, looking out over the Tetons.
Rad was beyond a friend, he was family. Not just to me, or my wife, but to everyone he knew. Rad is one of the few people in the world I could genuinely tell “I love you”. He changed my definition and expectation of friendship. He is everyone’s best friend.