A True Friend

I have a lot of good memories about you, Wes. One of my favorites is when you... well let's say stepped out of character a little. Everyone knew you as kind and generous, never wanting to hurt or offend. But I remember one day when we were in the hall at Durango, and Charlie accidentally bumped into another student. Should have been no big deal, but the kid decided he needed to test his manhood, so he got up in Charlie's face. After some big talk and posturing typical for the high school male, he started to walk off, went out the doors. Something happened to where he felt he needed to step up to Charlie again, and he started to come back in with some choice vulgarities. And you, the friend we all looked up to for your kindness and smiles, stepped between him and Charlie, threw open the doors, and yelled, "GET THE HECK OUT OF HERE!!!" The kid actually ran. And you returned to calm and smiles. Like Captain Moroni, even though you hated confrontation, you simply did what it took for the safety and welfare of your friends. We all knew you were a true friend and would never let us fall.

That fact was proved in a literal way in another favorite memory. I know some of us jokingly likened it to Nazi camps, but I really liked our YM trip to the Uintas. On one of those bright, sunny days when we idiotically decided to scale a vertical cliff several dozen feet up a vertical drop onto large boulders, you proved your friendship twice. First, you volunteered to be the first up the stone wall with nothing above to support you and no one knowing what hand holds there were. Then you laid on the ledge above and held your hand down to help everyone else up. Simple, right? But when Oscar got part way up and found that no handholds were in his reach to make it up to your hand, he decided to test your strength. With only precariously small hand and foot holds and a sheer drop below, Oscar crouched, then jumped vertically in an attempt to grab your hand. My first though as one of the guys beneath giving foot support from the 2' ledge below was "I hope Oscar doesn't take me with him in his fall!" But you caught him. You didn't let him fall.

We all want to let you rest and spend good time with your family, but I know I speak for Heather, Miranda, and the rest of the Hunter clan when I say we love you. I'm glad to have you as a friend.

Rob Hunter