Aaron Marcus Stratz

Excerpt from Memorial speech:

I’m Benji Bottini and I’m Aaron’s older brother.  I would like to start my talk with you by acknowledging  my mother Sheri, my step farther Marc and my father Bo.  I love you guys very much and that I know we are going to make it through this. And that I’m here for all of you.

This past week has been extremely painful for me.  Being here today with all of you now has made all of this turn REAL. My baby brother is gone and it destroys me to say this out loud. The only thing that is making this situation somewhat bearable is seeing all of you here. What an amazing turnout. It calms me and makes me proud to see how loved my little brother is. And it makes me really happy to know that during his short time on earth, he managed to touch so many lives. 

Mixed in to the crowd, I see a lot of my own friends, my personal friends. I want to thank you all for being here to support me through this. You all mean so much to me. The thing is though, unlike all of you, the one thing I can’t stop thinking about is that Aaron, my best bud, was my guarantee!!!  That no matter how bad of a fight or conflict that we would ever get into that he was always going to be there. Even fifty years from now, and believe me, anyone who has seen us together knows exactly what I’m talking about. 

For all of you that have the pleasure of seeing Aaron and I interact together. You might have noticed that I could be really mean to him. Or make comments that may lead you to believe that we didn’t get along. But the truth is that when it was just me and him, nothing else in the world mattered.  We were best buds.  I moved home after college and have not had a valid reason to leave.  Many nights of the week, Aaron and I would play video games or watch television programs that we both enjoyed in my room until we fell asleep in bed together.  And that was just no big deal to both of us. On nights that I would come home late, I would pop my head into my brothers room, where I would usually find him on his cell phone and I would say hey, get off the phone and come lay down with me. He would never skip a beat, there he would be. 

Oh this is very hard for me, I’m sorry.

The truth is I was Aaron’s biggest fan.  My brother took everything that was popular or trendy at the time and took it to the absolute level. There was nothing, NOTHING, that my little bro wouldn’t try and excel at. He was the best at sports, music, academics, making friends, girls, he had it all, including that cocky, yet gorgeous smile. 

Of course, that’s nothing new to all of us.  Everyone whose ever met or hung out with Aaron knows how awesome and genuine he was.  And on Monday night, we all lost this brother, son and friend that we all knew and loved.  

Why does something like this happen?  How do we react to this tragedy?  I have stayed in bed and excluded myself from family and friends and still cannot sleep.  I can’t pretend to act like I have the answers to these questions.  There is only one person that has the answer and he is know longer available for questioning.

There are only 2 things that I know for sure now.  There are only two paths to take.  We can fall into deep despair and beat ourselves up over this. And I know that’s how most of us feel right now.

But Aaron wouldn’t stand for that.   

I’ve been on this path for the past week and I don’t want to feel this way anymore. 

So I have made the decision to take the other path and I want others to follow me. 

The other day when I was at my lowest, I went out with a friend.  I looked up and saw what a beautiful day it was outside.  The sun was setting behind the beach waves and the air was clean and crisp with salty air.  And I thought to myself that Aaron is now apart of everything that is beautiful that surrounds me.  Aaron was my baby brother and I loved him very much. There is not going to be a single day in the rest of my life that I won’t think of him.

Thank you all so much for being here today. 

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

It's been hard to cope with the passing of my close cousin Aaron three weeks ago, on April 23rd. He was young, oh so handsome, the ultimate sweet talker, and an extremely close and loving friend. It's a shame he had to leave us so early. But I know, in the complicated realm between the living and the deceased, that he is out there watching over those he cared about and rooting for our ongoing progression to our life's goals and overall absolute plan. I know that every time I do or say something completely dorky or everytime I walk by Grandma's front screen door (that we sacked dead during our competitive Easter egg hunts), he is there to snicker with (...or at) me. The years growing up together and spending so close, the many memories we created, the strong bond we always shared, the nativity plays and baths at Grammy's with her orange tupperware and rubber duckies, the many endless easter egg hunts that he always won, the numerous slumber parties, forced costume dress-up play dates, and air guitar rock-out sessions in my bug's front seat... I'll always miss them the most. I think the hardest aspect of the situation to accept is the fact that not everyone who knew him had the blessing of experiencing the same wonderful memories and bond....or maybe that is a blessing in itself too, because I know he shared something special and unique with every individual he was in acquaintance with.

I hope you know Aaron that I love you more than I ever expressed in words, on paper, or through a computer screen. You are always in my heart and I will never forget you and the confident, cool charisma you possessed and helped me to develop (even if it is only a small fraction of what you have..) I can't wait to share my graduation, wedding day, first parenting attempt, or any other life experience that I will go through in the future with you by my side. Can you just do me a little favor? Do NOT follow me into the bathroom....for those particular experiences you will have to wait at the door...and no matter how long it takes, I'll come back to meet you. :] I'm never far behind you Air Bear.

Till the day we meet again,
Hay

Excerpt from Memorial speech:
He was born Aaron Marcus Stratz.  Even before he was born, I called him the nickname of ‘Air’.  Air was short for Aaron, but there was another reason I called him Air.  As many of you know, I love the game of basketball.  And there was this guy named Michael Jordan who was the greatest player on the planet at the time Aaron was born.  Michael Jordan had the nickname of ‘Air Jordan’.   I informally dubbed my son, ‘Air Stratz’.  Thus, the name Air, and a basketball was placed in his Crib.
The name Air immediately stuck to him.   It stuck to him in some ways I did not expect.  Sometimes he was called ‘Air Bear’ when he was cute and cuddlely.  Sometimes he was ‘Air Butt’ when you had to change his diapers.
As he grew up, Air also developed a love for basketball.  I taught him to play the game.  I taught him to play aggressively, dare to take chances, but most of all have fun while playing the game.  He lived all the many aspects of his life the same way.  There are so many fun stories, incredible feats, outrageous acts and so many of us that he made laugh.  He loved to crack jokes.
He left us too soon, but he is still Air to me.  To me he is a bit like the air around us.   For he is now all around me and inside me.  He is with me with every waking breath I take, because he is always in my thoughts.  I keep breathing at night and he is in my dreams.  He is always with me.  He is my Air.
Everyone here knows that sometimes he was bad and he got in trouble and of course, the Air became a little foul smelling.  But went he was good... and boy was he good… there isn’t anything that smelled fresher or as sweet.  He is my Air.
If you think about it, there is a bit of Air in each and every one of us.  So, everyone take a deep breath… If you smell something funny, that just might be him.  He is MY AIR!  AIR, I LOVE YOU.

Bright, Talented, Confident, Funny, Competitive
This is the Aaron Stratz we knew and remember...

As one of his many coaches in both baseball and basketball, Aaron’s exuberance for life and passion for sports competitions set him apart from so many. His ability to steal a ball, or make an impossible shot were a common occurrence for us to observe.

His skill in defending other talented athletes, as well as his talent for making the hardest movements look easy was Aaron’s trademark.
As a surfer and skater he was equally impressive and as a musician he further exhibited such flare...

Aaron was a young man who made an impact on so many. As a youngster, Aaron led the charge when either at school or day care, Aaron was “the man” and everyone of those Newland or Talbert kids knew it, including my own. “Aaron Stratz”, “Aaron Stratz”, “Aaron Stratz”, “Aaron Stratz” !!!

The Becker Family will miss you terribly so, as will the rest of us. You made a real impact and provided us untold joy in your short, but valuable life... Bright, Talented, Confident, Funny, and Competitive you were and as such You shall always be.

May such time at rest be also with lasting peace —

It has been a very long time since I have seen Aaron. He was one of those boys I grew up with. A year older than me, he was in my brothers grade. He was one of those boys I always looked up, I went to for advice.
I went to school with him up until he started high school, and that was when I moved. One of my fondest memories of him was my 7th grade Renaissance fair. I still have the picture from it, and he was in it. He always made me laugh. I'm going to miss him dearly. My only regret is not keeping in touch with him better.
Rest in peace, dear angel. You will be forever missed and forever remembered.