Before I’d begin, I’d like to say that nothing I could ever write could possibly come close to doing him justice.

Theron was my mom’s best friend–she’d known him since 1987, and I had, too. I was born in 1986, so that equates to just about my whole life. One of my favorite parts of visiting my mom at work as a child was seeing Theron–and I’d often ask of any work event (even in my 20s): “Will Theron be there?” And I was always a little more pleased to go when the answer was ‘yes.’ Theron would always greet you with a big smile, and that smile was contagious. His laugh, though, was downright infectious. And boy, could Theron make you laugh. He was one of the funniest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.

That Theron died this way has caused me to lose sleep at night–and I’ve cried so much, I’m not sure I have any tears left. Of everyone I’ve ever known, Theron is one of the least deserving of this sort of fate. He devoted his life to helping others get through rough patches. He put his faith in people, his trust–and he saw the good in every single person. Theron believed in “Oneness.” He believed in unity, he believed in many paths to god, and in music (he was an absolutely phenomenal bass player), laughter, light, and love. But do you know what really set Theron apart? He actually practiced what he preached.

Some of my best memories include laughing with him and his partner, Ted, who were so well matched that when you saw them together everything made sense. After a day with the two of them, you were reminded that your abs exist, and that laughter is very much an exercise.

One of his last text messages to me, goes a long way to describing the type of person Theron was, and why the world and the fight for Good are now at a gross disadvantage without him on this planet:

In response to a picture of the “Oneness” magnet I put on my car that he and Ted gave me upon receiving my Master’s degree: “Too Cool!! Let’s spread tha peace, Ms. Master.”

Theron was a peacemaker, he was a light upon this oftentimes dark earth. The lives he illuminated are too many to count–they include my mother’s and mine, and I truly believe that neither she nor I would be the same had we never met Theron; we would be emptier and sadder, as would hundreds of people. And with this travesty, there is a Theron-sized hole in so many hearts–and it is one that can never be filled, because Theron’s uniqueness was one of a kind.

If I become half of the human being Theron was, I would be lucky.

The world has lost a huge source of good, Alicia, and I would implore you–in any story you may write henceforth about him–to try to convey that. Because if you had known him, you would have loved him; it’s as simple as that.

Natalie McDonald