His smile lingers...
Friends mourn the loss of Collin Keck
Alex Bender
Issue date: 9/26/08 Section: News
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The truth is it's impossible. There is no way to properly eulogize someone. You can't sum up a life in 500 words, but there is a way to come close. Collin Keck died on Thursday, Sept. 18 in a bicycle accident, but this was not the end of Collin Keck. He lives on in the recollections of his friends, in the memorial fund that is already drawing donations to build a new bike path to avoid the dangerous stretch of road on which he was killed, and most of all in the credo that he left behind.
A 2008 Engineering School graduate, Keck hailed from Bozeman, Mont. While biking to work in Sumner, Wash., Keck was struck by a vehicle and killed.
Keck's friends describe him as the kind of man who had an easy smile, the kind who is just naturally kind. To hear them talk Keck was a man incapable of cruelty, someone
guided by a desire to see people happy.
"When I think of Collin, his smile is the first thing that pops into my mind," said Amanda McClure, a 2007 graduate who sang with Collin in Big Bing Theory. "Whenever Collin smiled, it was genuine. He meant it and it was completely real. I walked by him on my way to class early every morning one semester my junior year. Even though I could tell that he was talking to his buddies and still half asleep, he always smiled and said (or at least waved) hello. It brightened up my day."
Reflecting on their time in Big Bing
Theory, McClure reminisced on the bonding experiences they shared.
"We spent the weekend after auditions at BBT retreat, learning new music, playing all kinds of get-to-know-you games, and stuffing our faces. At one point, I remember all of us, a lot of whom had just met, snuggling on David Gaines' trampoline. The returning members really wanted to hear us 'newbies' sing, so we did. Lying on our backs under the stars … It was so much fun. We spent hours and hours taking turns singing that night. I remember being so impressed with Collin's voice. I can't tell you exactly what it was, but something about his voice just made me want to listen."
When his friends remember him, it is his voice that seems to come up again and again. The budding engineer seemed to combine artist and scientist when he sang.
"Man, did he have a voice! This guy could sing - he had an incredible voice, and a laugh to match, and just being around him was a joy," said Jen Forsman, class of 2004.
But to reduce his talent to his music is unfair. His friends had more to say about his other talents.
"I later got to know him as a man who was brilliant,fun, very chill and extremely passionate about music. I always felt as though Collin were like my little brother and I know, without a doubt, that he would encourage every last one of us to live for the moment, enjoy where you are and drink life in, just as he did," Claire Mcloy said.
Gonzaga students past and present remember Keck as the prototypical good guy. The one you want your sister to date, the guy whom you can't help but like. Keck left behind more than these strong friendships, he left a template so that others might follow in his footsteps. Collin's list, located at www.collinkeck.com, provides 11 ways that people might better themselves, all "crusades" that Keck embodied in his own life. From things as simple as reading "Three Cups of Tea" to being a steward of the environment, Keck's list provides ways that people can better themselves, and in turn honor Collin's
vision for the world.
As Collin said: "I strongly believe that we are called to use our talents to the betterment of others."
It wasn't hard to find people who loved Collin, and wanted to talk about the way he impacted them. It seems that in fact it was much more of a matter of finding
a stopping place. The Facebook group dedicated to his memory overflows with well-wishers, the memorial Web site contains compliment after glowing compliment. This is where Collin's eulogy really is, in the hearts of his friends and their kind words.
Features Editor Tony Schick contributed to this article.
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