Dear Spencer family,
As I am sure you are receiving so many thoughtful letters from such a wide range of people, you can easily see how many individuals Rad has impacted in his life. This letter may be in a stack of many, but I felt compelled to reflect on how truly amazing, authentic, and loving your son, brother, and friend was.
I knew Rad a bit in high school but we first became reintroduced when we moved in together in our first summer living in Jackson in 2016. He immediately took to me like we were best friends. His friendship was unlike any other I had. Authentic and genuine, he wanted to know about every facet of my life. I had never felt so comfortable around another person so fast. The four roommates would stay up late telling stories well into the night. Rad’s would often have me literally crying laughing. We had some of the dumbest inside jokes from that summer. Ever since then, Rad made it a point each year to hand mail me a drawing or picture of these dumb jokes. I would hang them around my house although no one had any idea what they meant. They would make me smile. They would make me think of Rad.
We all miss Rad. Rad pushed us to be a more adventurous and more complete versions of ourselves. He would take me out of my comfort zone by forcing me to wake up and see the sunrise or go on a hike I would never consider taking. Seeing incredible views with one of your best friends does not get old. That is something I’ll miss the most. He pushed me in other ways as well. I miss how he took me to church when I visited. He truly lived the faith he believed in. No matter where he went, he was someone’s best friend. I’ll miss his funny laugh and contagious smile.
The people he brings together was truly a gift and I will forever do my best to live a little bit more like Rad Spencer.