Pour Some out for My Fallen Homey: A Tribute to the Cockroach

Pictured: Starting with me in the middle and to my right, Jarrett, Jen, Chris, Doug, Ed, Bryan, Clayton and Corey.

Today marks the one-year anniversary of my friend’s passing. His name was Jarrett “Spiderman” Knyal. He was good and strong and funny and wonderful. One of the most amazing people you could ever hope to meet.

Didn’t know Jarrett? Clayton, a friend of mine and JK’s, wrote this touching DIFF post about the Spiderman shortly after his death. It’s a beautiful eulogy that, in my opinion, really gets to who Jarrett was as a person. Read it. (Or watch this video.)

As I think of Jarrett today, a few memories come to mind…

Jarrett was an avid gardener and would often bring his home-grown veggies into the office for all to share. I sat just over the cubical wall from him and on one occasion I recall being deep in focus, working hard on my computer, when something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. There it was, an enormously long cucumber – maybe the biggest I’ve ever seen – dangling over the cube wall by the one and only Jarrett Knyal. It was so random and so hilariously timed that I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Or that time we went out with a bunch of friends to Dominick’s, our favorite summertime beer garden in Ann Arbor. Since Dominick’s is located amongst a bunch of houses, it closes at 10pm, so when the discussion came up about where we were headed next, Jarrett said he’d pick the spot. And where did my friend (who was in a wheelchair mind you) choose? The only frickin’ bar in the entire city that required we scale a flight of stairs to get in!

But what was a mere staircase to Jarrett (and a couple of gigantic bouncers who were happy to assist)?

Or that time when I was the new kid on the block at Quicken Loans. I had only been there a few weeks, I think, when our CMO asked us to split up into several marketing brainstorming groups that would meet regularly over the next few months. Right away, I felt like the nerdy kid in 7th grade gym class when teams were being picked for dodge ball. I was new, I didn’t really know anyone and I didn’t think I was prepared to be picked last.

Jarrett, as one of the veterans, was selected to lead a group. And who do you think he picked first? Me. A small gesture, but one that I appreciated greatly. That’s just the kind of guy he was. Always thinking of others. Always empathetic.

Jarrett was also stronger than anyone I knew, or know. A roof accident in the 80s left him a paraplegic with a prosthetic arm. Did that stop him? Hell no. Later he would get colon cancer. And beat it. He called himself the “cockroach” because he was the ultimate survivor. His love of life was like a bright light – you couldn’t miss it. And it was contagious.

But tragically, his cancer would return and ultimately claim his life at the age of 44. A year ago today. He left a wonderful wife, Bridget, and two small children, Wade and Violet.

Jarrett’s the kind of guy that you don’t easily forget. He’s the kind of person I aspire to be.

I just wanted to say that I miss you buddy. I think of you often and will never forget you.