Rory's Bereavement Support
Beloved friends, family, and co-workers, thank you all for your emotional support and financial contributions throughout the final leg of Rory’s long-fought battle with testicular cancer. We greatly appreciate the unending prayers, concern, and comfort for our family during this time. On Thursday, Rory died peacefully in his home, in the loving arms of his family. Though we have heavy hearts and miss him dearly, we are blessed to know he is no longer suffering and has moved on to eternal life.
His time on this world--just 43 years--was short, but his positivity and carefree spirit made a lasting impression on all that knew him. His treatments led to the erosion of his sight and his hearing; the loss of a collar bone and half of a lung; he endured 3 bone marrow transplants, and eventually lost his ability to walk, yet he never lost his smile or zest for life. He rarely admitted to being in pain, and when so many would classify something as superficial as sitting in traffic or having a bad day at work as having the ‘worst day ever,’ he smiled through treatment after treatment and reassured everyone that he was, “alright,’ and “lucky to be on this Earth.” That was partially true; whether you choose to believe it was an uncanny level of luck or through the work of God, he was told a number of times he’d only live a matter of days or weeks, only to live on—laughing that he’d cheated death once more. His smile, humor, and love for mischief were absolutely contagious and will continue to serve as an inspiration.
Though he is gone, we are continuing to fundraise to help his wife and kids regain financial security in the aftermath of Rory’s final battle, which required 24/7 care and lasted over a year. Any contributions are greatly appreciated. For those looking to memorialize Rory, his children have started rebuilding a prize-worthy garden Rory started years ago but was too sick to maintain in recent years. The Phoenix location of Summerwinds Nursery has been notified and is setting aside plants, seeds, and gift cards for Jana and Rory’s children. If you wish to do that in lieu of flowers for the service, please call [phone redacted].
You can also purchase apparel in his honor at Apparel Zona. All proceeds from the apparel will go to the family.
Again, we appreciate all of your prayers and support. It has been a long journey for all of us, including our supportive friends and extended family. God Bless!
