Elijah Averett

For those who knew and loved Elijah:

 Elijah was a tender, big-hearted guy and a gentle soul.  He was the baby of the family and a gift to his mom.  He loved his people deeply and had a sweetness about him that made him irresistibly likeable.  He was strong, kind and sensitive.  Throughout his life Elijah had the ability to make things fun and find joy in the little things.  He saw the absurd and funny in the world, and understood that it was important to be lighthearted about life whenever possible, even when things were difficult.  He was not a stranger to grief or pain, and he understood the vulnerability of being a human.  This is also a part of what made him beautiful. 

 Elijah was a creative, imaginative, funny little kid.  He grew up having lots of fun, playing video games and being silly with his big brothers and his “sister”.  The four of them laughed a lot, did crazy dares together, and shared so many ongoing private jokes.  They loved & played, teased & supported one another.  He was their “Little Bro” and they each share a very special bond that will last forever.  As adults these bonds continued, and when they were together there was a lot of joking, loud laughter and loving.  They always had each other’s backs, and supported one another through good times and hard times. As new people came into the family, Elijah welcomed them as new siblings, and had sweet relationships with each of them.

 Elijah loved his close, crazy family.  He was a beloved son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and uncle.  

He was caring and appreciative, and always wanted his family members to be okay.  Elijah loved his mom fiercely, and got a lot of his humor & lightheartedness from her.   He also inherited her tendency to save everything.  He was nostalgic and sentimental.  Chances are, if you ever gave him something (a gift, a note or card, a drawing) he kept it.  

 Elijah loved gaming and was known to have all the systems and never got rid of any games. When he finally got a gaming PC he was very proud of his “sweet setup”.  He loved music (especially emo bands) and was talented at playing the guitar, banjo, and ukulele. He also had an amazing singing voice.  He loved skateboarding, snowboarding and cool cars.  Elijah loved animals, especially his “baby” Cortana.   He had jobs that he loved, and enjoyed fun relationships with many coworkers.  He felt proud of his work and was also known to be a little rebellious against the rules J 

 Elijah valued his friendships, and throughout the years he was loved, encouraged and supported by many, many good friends in happy times and in struggles.  His best-best friend of the last 3+ years was especially caring, and gave him so much love and constant support.  They could often be heard laughing, and regularly came home with their favorite fast food bags in hand.  The love and happiness you two shared was so valuable and you, sweet girl, will always be a part of our family.  

 Anyone who knew Elijah will remember his wonderful laugh.  He could laugh at how silly and weird and, sometimes stupid, the world could be. He wasn’t afraid to be uniquely himself and let his personality show.  He was pure hearted and had a gentle nature.  He felt things deeply.  

Elijah was a great listener. He didn’t interrupt, judge or give his opinion.   He quietly listened to the people he loved when they were struggling, and would reflect back calming love and acceptance.  Giving a sweet look of caring and empathy without needing to say a lot. He just let people be themselves.  

 If you want to remember and celebrate Elijah:

 Play a video game, tie-dye anything, give love to an animal, wear happy pastel colors (pink preferred) or an irreverent, funny T-shirt, buy a car you love (but of course always obey the speed limit J), customize your stuff, put your favorite stickers on everything you can, eat some Wendy’s, be kind & non-judgmental, tell the people you love that you are thankful for them, laugh and see the silly in the world, share songs with your friends, whiten your teeth, keep your car clean, get the piercings or tattoos that make you happy, let your individuality shine through, be more gentle with yourself, keep your happy memories of him alive.  

Elijah was a wonderful person, and he made the world a better place by being in it.  

Anyone lucky enough to know Elijah — Please remember that each of you were special to him and he loved you greatly.