Jason was a true friend.
He always had a hand to lend.

He could make you smile, 
Even if you hadn’t seen him in a while.

He did things his own way.
He made the most of every day.

He loved to sing and swim.
His family could count on him.

He loved with all his heart,
Which made it hard to part.

Although he’s not around,
He’s up there looking down.

When you look up above,
Remember him with love.

He was a true friend
All the way to the end. 

Jason’s competitive swimming success was truly remarkable because he didn’t start swimming until he was a teenager while most of his teammates joined the sport before the age of 10. He told me he beat his brother in a race in a hotel pool- the only time he beat Tom at anything! Tom told him to go out for the swim team, so he did. Jason said Coach Hugo tried to get him to quit and even suggested he become a diver. I’m sure this was just coach’s way of motivating him to work harder. Here’s a picture of Jason swimming the 200 Individual Medley for West Des Moines Valley at the Iowa high school state championship his senior year. He is at the bottom of the picture. (picture courtesy of my brother Bill, who is two lanes from Jason) Jason went on to swim at the University of Northern Iowa.   

In 2015, I went to New Hampshire to help Jason pack for a move. We went out to dinner and had some fun singing karaoke. We sang Friends in Low Places together and he sang solo on Born to be Wild. (see video section)

I met Jason when he was a student at UNH. His girlfriend (at the time) Jenny also attended UNH and worked at a restaurant with me. We became fast friends and I spent a lot of time with them. I was at their wedding and visited them in San Diego and Long Island. They visited me in NH. I loved getting to know their two girls, and stayed in touch with Jenny after they split up. I lost touch with Jason, but remember him as a passionate, intelligent, and funny guy. I hope he is at peace now. <3