I miss my brother, Gary.

Gary Maruna is my older brother. He has the biggest heart and the kindest soul of anyone I know.

Anyone who knows Gary, knows “the look.” In any social situation when there’s an odd moment, a joke to be made, or a new strong personality that enters the fray, Gary’s eye is there, across the room, glancing at you with the most gentle of smiles. He knows the dynamic is about to change, he knows you do too, and you’re going to enjoy knowing together. 

Gary chooses his words carefully, but he always knows what’s going on in a situation. He’s a shrewd judge of character, but open to appreciating someone or something new. I’ve never known him to be unwilling to entertain a different perspective or to try to forgive someone who was needlessly mean. I’ve never seen him lash out in anger. I’ve only known him to want to be understanding, sometimes in the most difficult of situations. 

I have learned to look for the best in people, in no small part, from watching Gary do the same. I hope others look at me with as much forgiveness and openness as Gary looks upon others. 

The laughter I have had with Gary is immeasurable. I remember making farting noises with an alarm clock, goofing around with an early voice synthesizer, and making songs together about the characters in our lives as kids. I remember setting up vast armies of little green army men and knocking them down with popsicle sticks and corks. I remember whoopie cushions and saran wrap on toilets. I remember smoke bombs and water balloons. I remember hide and seek, card games, and always having a partner in shenanigans for whatever adventure was afoot. I remember doing plenty of stupid 1980’s kids stuff with Gary, but I remember it being absolutely hilarious, well intentioned, and generally harmless. 

I wish I had spent more time, wasting time, with Gary. There is no better person to waste time with. Play any game with Gary and you’ll find he somehow makes it more fun than the creators could have imagined. Hours we spent playing Age of Empires together should have been days. Calls I spent on the deck watching sunsets while Gary told stories of the characters in his life should have been more frequent. I always enjoyed every minute I spent with Gary, and that’s not an easy thing to say of a person. 

Gary Maruna is an amazing story teller. Not everyone knows how to tell a good story, in fact a lot of the best adventures are wasted on people who can’t do them justice. Not so with Gary. Gary knows how to paint a picture, slowly introduce intrigue or conflict, and he knows how to deliver a punchline. Any time Gary starts a sentence with “That reminds me about this one time…” you know you’re in for something funny and probably a bit insightful. Gary always finds humor and whimsy in the human condition. 

Every person Gary knows is better off from having known him. He is always in your corner. Disagreements are rare, and he’s always willing to just put a bow on the topic and avoid it in the hopes of finding common ground elsewhere. He’s ready to lend a favor, he doesn’t want much in return. Gary treats people the best way he can imagine. He leaves the people around him better off than he found them. 

Gary has been my partner in many situations where a friendly face is important to have. I’ve always been able to count on Gary when I needed to. 

In the game of life we all get different cards to play, and Gary plays his hand with incredible talent and charm. I can’t know where Gary is headed next, but I deeply believe that it is going to be awesome, hilarious, and joyful. I hope Gary finds a deep and lasting peace, because knowing him has made my life wonderful. I know I will feel his gentle smile and twinkle in the eye across the room again. 

I love you Gary.