I'll never forget the first time I met Kole Crofts. He and Steve Smith were in church primary class punching each other in the leg to see who could hit the hardest. Having just moved in to the area as a new 6th grader and being the new kid, they asked if I wanted to join. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that I wanted none of that game with those two bruisers. That day pretty much showed me how Kole lived the rest of his life. 100%!! Future Sunday School classes consisted of us escaping out the back door to head over to Country Time donuts for some mid day refreshments and other such mischevious but innocent shenanigans. Fast forward to 10th grade P.E. class. First day of school, finally at the high school, and the football coach O'mara interrupts our P.E. teacher to announce that he has 2 spots left in his 'special' conditioning class. Coach O' was a tough and no-nonsense guy with a reputation for an equally tough and brutal conditioning class. Deciding to take the path of least resistance I quietly stepped aside. Kole, already a de-facto member of Coach O's boot camp, as an accomplished varsity athlete, looked directly at me and said those words I will never forget: "C'mon Mark, get over here, unless you want to be a pussy for the rest of your life." For sure, Kole had a way of 'motivating' his friends like none other by knowing exactly what to say to get you on board with what he had in mind. What was probably just a flippant comment by him meant in jest, was life-changing for me. That day, and that conditioning class, was a pivotal moment for me and forever changed the trajectory of the rest of my life. Because of Kole's tutelage during that semester I have enjoyed a life time of weight training, fitness, and pushing the limits of what one thinks the body can do. Thank you my friend! I was there the first time he caught a fish on a Scouting camping trip that we finally convinced him to attend. Every person on the lake must have heard him hollering about how huge it was and how his fish was no doubt the biggest fish anyone had ever caught that day. None of us had the heart to tell him that it was plainly just an average sized fish because we were all so pleased that he had joined us on the trip. Things were always more fun when Kole was around. I still can't believe how on that trip my dad let us hang out the side of the bus and shoot our .22's at the road signs as we drove by. Kole talked about that memory with me for the next 40 years! LOL!! Kole was the first one at my house the very day I got home from my mission to drag me to the young adult dance to 'break' me in quick upon returning to the real world. I could go on for sure but suffice it to say, I have never experienced a time with Kole when there wasn't a lot of laughing going on. Whether his teasing or incredibly colorful stories, there was always fun to be had. He always had fun and lived more life in his 52 years than most of us will in whatever time we have on this earth that is now left less than it was before his passing. Be well my friend until l see you again! I hope to some day be able to repay the kindness you have shown me. I guess I will have to pay it forward. I love you and will miss you! I will see you later.