Well you know how Todd could fall asleep anywhere very quickly. He came to one of our Sacred Healing Journeys at Yoga Sol. We begin with healing breath work then go into a sound bath. Todd however fell asleep while I was explaining everything before we began. He woke up half way through to a bunch of people breathing loud and didn’t remember where he was at first and kind of freak out.  He was able to regroup and join in thank fully. We had a good laugh about it after.  
he would also fall asleep immediately when he came for Bemer treatments and my son would always say how he wished he could be like Todd And fall asleep so fast.   And of course there was my dog who always knew when he was coming and she made sure he spent time with her first!  They had a special bondSending love your way.

My first impression of Todd, way back in the day, was that of a quiet, calm,  very polite friend of Deirdre. I wish I could remember the first instance when I caught a glimpse of his zany side! I do remember and cherish the laughter and love that surrounded Todd wherever he was.

As I am looking back through texts from Todd on this year anniversary, I found the most sentimental one of all.  Todd had a great idea for an app and had to text me about it.  Todd said, "It is Poop 360.  It lets you know when someone is dropping a deuce and how fast they are moving to the bathroom."  :) 

The past year has been really hard without him and it hasn't gotten easier.  I miss him so much.  He got me and my humor and I got him.   Love you forever Godhusband.

I miss him answering the phone "What's Up Jerk"!!!!!! When we were talking smack working at Spaghetti Factory! Our friend Manny Garcia would Inevitably at some point act outraged and say 
"WHAT A JERK!" "Big Stupid Jerk" LOVE IT!

Todd hated sand. He even hated it when the kids would get all sandy at the beach. My son Owen (Todd's nephew), on the other hand, loved getting sandy when he was little. We would go every year on a family vacation to Catalina Island. I have to smile when I think of Owen saying "look Uncle Todd, I'm a dump truck" as he dumped a bucket of sand on his own head. Owen also loved getting out of the ocean and rolling in the sand (he, as an adult, no longer does this :). He would holler over to Todd saying "I'm a sugar cookie". Todd hated sand, but he loved Owen.

Todd was my friend. He was most likely my first friend, because he and my sister Amy met in kindergarten, when I was only 3, and he is in my earliest memories.  He was there when I first attempted skateboarding, when I learned to ride a bike, and when I saw my first movie in a theater (Young Frankenstein at the Fox in Fullerton). He introduced me to so many bands, and so much culture. He taught me how to fix my bike. He was my first ride to school, and more importantly, my first ride to the Upland Skatepark. He took me to my first concert. He showed me great kindness, and even during his pain from his parents divorce, he behaved with integrity and openness. He was an amazing big brother to Toby, and put up with so much crap from both of us. He let us listen to his records, bounce on his bed, break his stuff, control the radio in the car, use his tools, and eat his food. Growing up, he was as much a big brother to me as a friend, and I knew I could always count on him. I probably never even gave him gas money, or offered. And he never asked. He taught me how to drive a stick shift, and was brave enough to get in a car with me at the wheel. Todd was always there when you needed him. 
Although as we got older we saw each other less, we always had a connection through music. Todd loved music like a musician does, despite not playing an instrument. He had a critical ear, and was always finding a new band and turning all his friends on to great discoveries. He was the first person I knew who would spend his money on his record collection, and it was always exciting to see what he brought home. I will always remember making him let me listen to the Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars tape (specifically the song '5 Years') every morning on the way to school. He put up with it. He loved it when you loved his music. In more recent years we would occasionally meet up to see bands like X, the Adolescents, and Midnight Oil--all bands I first heard in his bedroom. 
Todd had the funniest laugh. Almost a cackle. It was a mix of mirth and curiosity that was so distinctive. When Todd was happy, you knew it, and you could tell he reveled in the joy of the moment. I remember when Todd's parents got divorced. He just have been 15 or 16, and I definitely noticed a change in him. He became less of an extrovert, and seemed to get quieter and more mature overnight. I wouldn't say he brooded, but he definitely kept to himself more, and showed his goofy side less often. I think that dichotomy made his laugh even more joyful, and more special. 
Todd had a quiet confidence. He liked what he liked, and he knew how to spend time alone. As I am writing this I realize how much I learned from Todd. He was a guy that led by example, and never forced his opinions on others. I felt at home in his house, maybe more than in my own, which explains why I practically lived there during high school. I would go straight from school to his house, only going home when it was time for dinner. I suppose that also had something to do with the fact that Todd and Toby had cable, and better snacks then my house did!
I really miss Todd, and I find myself thinking of him often.  I never imagined he would be gone so soon. I regret not spending more time with him as an adult, and getting to know what kind of a father and husband he became. Selfishly, I could have learned a lot more from him in those areas. I know it.
I was lucky to have known him, and I never thanked him for all he did for me. Rest in peace my old friend. I love you.
Sam

Today is your birthday and I am thinking about the first time that I met you. I had recently come back from studying in Paris and I had no job. One of the guys that I went to school with in Paris, Marc Lambert, told me that he could get me a job at The Old Spaghetti Factory. At first, I turned the offer down, because I knew waitressing would be stressful. Thankfully, after working a few weeks at Medieval Times ( a nightmare), I interviewed at Spag. A decision that would bless my life for ever.
Todd was my trainer my first night as a waitress. I remember that I was so stressed and he was kind and calm. For those people who have been to The Spaghetti Factory, you know that it can be pretty fast paced and it is not uncommon to have large parties. Todd was a great trainer, always patient. That first night lasted 5 to 6 hours. Two days later, when I returned for my second night of training the gal that was supposed to train me was sick, so Todd was stuck with me again. I can't say that it was love at first sight, because, I was so stressed out the first night that he trained me, that I didn't recognize him on the second night. Todd had been wearing glasses the first night that I met him, (years later we would refer to them as his "Harry Potter" glasses), and he wore his contacts the second night. I thought that it was strange on day two that he didn't introduce himself :). 
It wasn't long after that first meeting that we started dating (April 22, 1988). Although I have not seen Marc in many, many years, I will be forever thankful to him. My life was forever blessed for over 32 years. xxoo 

Bro I miss you,
This is the time of year we went to Coachella, Such Great memories even though the Festival changed and we stopped going, The memories of the years we went are so strong!!! Such a great escape from life and such Great Bands!!!!!!! Peace Be With Your Soul!!!!!

I can't believe that it has been 6 months since you left. Not a day has gone by that I haven't thought of you. Thank you for being the best husband, father, and friend. I have been truly blessed to be your wife. I miss talking with you and your "Hill"arious sense of humor. I miss listening to you laugh when watching TV. I miss walking into the kitchen and seeing you baking your muffins. I miss watching you come home from a long bike ride smelly, happy and full of energy. I miss seeing you with Aislinn. You were an awesome dad! I miss being next to you every night. I miss you. All my love, your Bear

We had our annual fantasy basketball draft yesterday and observed a moment of silence for Todd, who was known to our 14-team league as League Psychic. We miss having him as part of online community of basketball nuts.

Hanging out at Irene and Ryne's for a visit, I could always be sure I'd see Todd, for a minute or two... max. Irene and I would be chatting in the family room, and the doorbell would ring, or perhaps the front door would be unlocked because Todd had called to say he'd be stopping by. I'd hear Ryne's voice down the hall calling out, "I've got some new ones for you, on top of the cabinet," or "I think you'll like the ones on the bottom right shelf."  Todd would pop his head in to the family room to say hi. Then he'd head out, with a fresh batch of DVDs curated for him by Ryne, to binge watch at home that evening. 

I'm going to miss these "Todd sightings." 

Todd, my beloved brother in law,  and I had a lot in common. We used to joke that it was a good thing we never got married because we would have killed each other ( variety is the spice of life and marriage:)
Some of our similarities were useful ( similar tastes in podcasts, a love for returning things that were borrowed ) and some not so much (a propensity for procrastination, a tendency towards grumpiness when hungry -especially on long road trips). There was one thing we had in common that would be especially handy/annoying when we went to Las Vegas and it involved the need to use the restroom.
Todd, my mom, my Aunt Florence and I went on a few weekend getaways to Las Vegas together over the years. Some might be perplexed as to why Todd would want to go to Vegas with his sister in law, mother in law and wife's aunt. I can't totally explain it, except to say that our merry quartet shared a love of buffets and the possibility of winning big at slot machines (plus Deirdre and Ryne are were not fans of Vegas at all). We usually stayed somewhere on the strip and enjoyed walking from casino to casino. The very first thing Todd and I would do when we would walk into a new casino was look for the restrooms and tell Florence and Mom we would be right back. It didn't matter if we had just gone 20 minutes before, a new casino meant a new trip to the facilities. 
Although we never won big in Vegas , I have many priceless memories of times with Todd filled with laughter and love.

If it wasn't for Todd, I would never have learned what a 'beauty ring' (allegedly) was :)

So Todd and I were at a furniture store many years ago where he was looking for a desk, and the salesman was being very helpful. Todd zeroed in on one desk, a beautiful oak specimen, with holes for computer cables near the back edge. The holes were bare, and Todd pointed to them and looked to the salesman and asked: 'Does this come with beauty rings?'

The salesman looked at Todd, extremely confused, and maybe wondering if he was being punked. Then he looked to me, and saw that I was equally confused. I looked to Todd and said: 'What?"

"Beauty rings," he repeated. 'You know, those things that go in the holes to cover the sharp edges."

'You mean, grommets?" the salesman asked.

'No, beauty rings,' Todd said.

'Dude, those are called grommets," I corrected him.

'Grommets?'

The salesman and I nodded. And Todd did not buy the desk.

That is how Todd taught me the meaning of 'beauty ring' :)

Todd and I were godparents together.  He would affectionately call me his “God-wife.”  I have known him for almost my entire life.  He was there for every occasion, big or small.  I can’t imagine life after Todd.  He was the person you looked forward to seeing.  He always gave you his full attention and you could always tell in his eyes he was really listening.  I am going to remember him for how hard he loved Deirdre.  Their marriage was revered in our family.  I am going to remember him for how he always put family first.  Aislinn and Deirdre were his number one priorities.  I am going to remember him for how welcome he made people feel.  And I will remember his love of slot machines, bike riding, music, Diet Coke, and his great laugh.  While this testament to Todd is simplistic, our love for him was not.  The sun will never shine as bright.  Life will never seem whole without him.  But we will always remember Todd by in which the way we live our lives from here forward.  To be a little bit more like Todd will help make the world a kinder, brighter place.  Years ago Deirdre got a license plate that reads:             

 DD ❤ Todd 

but we all know Todd ❤ DD too.  

My heart will ache until we meet again, God-husband.

Love,
Fionnuala

Here’s a few funny thing about Uncle Todd. Him and I shared many things, one being our love for fruit. We had frequent discussions about the seasonal fruit, the best apple varieties, and most of all the absolute exquisiteness of the plum. We were maybe the only two humans who could eat only plums for all of eternity (the only thing that would deter us is the laxative nature of the fruit). In honor of this strange obsession we named ourselves the the Plum Gang. We had a secret plum gang greeting where we’d shout “bump it” and almost fisting bump before aiming the other one out. He nicknamed me Beetle for a reason I don’t know and he used to call me Deirdre Weirdre. Some of my favorite memories were with him and Uncle Thad and all our cousins in Catalina. They took us kayaking and on the flying fish tour and we’d walk around at night to get ice cream and listen to drunk people sing karaoke and maybe if we were very lucky catch THE Gill Torres at Luau Larry’s. We’d all walk around impersonating Huell Howser and laughing at just about anything. Uncle Todd made me feel like an official unofficial Hill by letting me spend all my time in his home with his cat and his daughter because I am kind of obsessed with them both (in a good way I think). He knew how to make me feel seen and loved in the hardest times and he knew how to be funny all of the time. I loved when he’d drive Aislinn and I to volleyball practice and I would get to listen to him sing in the car. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who’s so in love with music yet is so very bad at carrying a tune. But it was beautiful to see him living his life doing what he loved. 

I met Todd many years ago, but we have interacted most recently by being in the same fantasy basketball league, which has been a great experience, more so for Todd than me. But more on that in a minute.

Todd joined the league in 2009, playing under the team name Parr K. Fleur (parquet floor, like the Boston Celtics play on, get it?). His start was inauspicious, finishing 14th in a 14-team field. He had all the makings of a “donor manager,” the guy who coughs up his $75 every year to be divided among the top three finishers, which, more often than not, has included yours truly.

Todd accepted the challenge, however, and fought his way to 5th place the following year, an impressive jump. At some point, Todd shared with me that, throughout his fantasy career, he had a unique talent for trading away players who, unbeknownst to him, were about to suffer a season-ending injury. I dubbed him “League Psychic,” and that is the team name that Todd played under for the next nine years.

Todd won the league in his third year, the 2011-12 season, which is pretty impressive in a very competitive league. This time, the roles were reversed; I finished 11th. I am ashamed to admit it, but I was green with envy, since I had never won the league myself. But I got over it quickly and was happy for Todd. In our talk this week, Deirdre shared that Todd was very excited about his championship. I smiled when she said he did not share news of his win right away, perhaps because he had bike-related plans for the $390 in first-place winnings. It warmed my heart to hear Deirdre recall Todd’s happiness over his victory.

Todd notified me last year that he would not be participating in the 2019-20 season because he did not think he would have time. I was disappointed. Todd was always a great manager, and I liked keeping in contact with him through our league. He kept it fun when others (me) got a bit obsessive. He frequently joined in the “smack talk” of our online live draft each October, which can get a bit salty at times, but always kept things upbeat and fun. In a normal year, we would be doing that draft this weekend. Like everything else this year, the season sucked, ending prematurely in early March.

Todd got the last laugh, though. One his friends, whom he brought into the league when we had an opening, finished first this year, his second win in three years. I finished 12th, and still have not won the league a single time in, ahem, 18 years.

When I got the news, I texted two other managers – my brother-in-law and my former coworker, Carlos Puma – and told them, “We lost League Psychic.” They were in disbelief, despite the fact that I don’t think either one of them ever met Todd in person. I think we will hold a moment of silence during our next live draft to remember Todd. He will be missed.

I have so many Todd stories and I will definitely share more as time goes on, but this one is about Todd, Camp Arbolado and grace.
When Deirdre first started dating Todd, I, and many of her closest friends were working at the East Whittier YMCA. We loved Todd right from the start and knew he was the one for D. Many of us went up to Camp Arbolado each summer as camp counselors or on the directing staff and it was only natural that we talked Todd into joining us. If you have been to a resident camp, then you know there are many traditions and routines. I have many sweet memories of Todd up at camp, but the very first one sticks out in my mind and heart because it truly was the beginning of Todd's spiritual journey (at another time I will share how he earned the name "Pookie" and Deirdre became "Poofie":)
As all the cabin groups lined up in front of the dining hall, we always said grace. Now, this might be a simple prayer or a song. We were lined up for dinner (I think it was our first night) and someone said "Todd, would you say grace?". Very loudly and enthusiastically Todd stepped up and said "Grace!". There was a moment of awkward silence, for Todd clearly did not know it was supposed to be  an actual grace and then someone quickly started a song, we chuckled and moved on.
Fast forward many years, and Todd became one of the most spiritually centered people I know. As a brother in law and a friend, he was someone I could count on for love, support, guidance - and to return any Tupperware that ended up at his house. :)
He lived a faith centered life and inspired many others to do so also. A couple of years ago, Todd gave me a piece of paper that he had typed and laminated and said "I think you need this". It was the St. Theresa prayer and I have it hanging up on my bathroom mirror and try to read it everyday. I will try to move forward in joy and live a purposeful life because of Todd. His life was full of grace in every sense of the word. Here is the prayer:
St. Theresa's Prayer
May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones and allow you the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is here for each and every one of us.