Landon Robert Surrey

I first met Landon ten years ago; I was a fairly new player trying to get into Destiny, a game I wouldn't typically play. I remember hanging out in the social hub "The Tower" just communicating with random players through emotes. Most people ignored me, few would respond back briefly with emotes of their own before moving on. Landon was the first one who stayed around with me for over an hour, communicating only through pantomimed actions. We eventually transitioned to actual co-operative gameplay, hopping from game to game over the years. The game we played may have often changed but the fun we had together never diminished. At one point there was a months-long gap without communication. I remember Landon eventually reaching out to me and apologizing profusely for his absence. I never took it personally, I just figured life got busy and he'd be back when he had time, but it clearly weighed on his mind and I think that's when I realized how much of a kindhearted, thoughtful and loyal friend Landon was. Every occasion I got to hang out with Landon on Playstation or PC brought such a joyful memories. Landon radiated a positivity and wholesomeness I very rarely encounter in a person. No matter the situation, whether game-related or about life, Landon always had a positive and upbeat outlook, which is something I can't always say I have the strength to do, which is what I found so inspiring about him. Over the years I saw Landon's relation to me transition from a mere friend to someone I saw as a brother. We shared so many memories and life updates together; I felt like I was watching someone grow up in such an exciting stage in his journey through life. I was honored to get to witness Landon blossom from someone shy and wary about meeting new people to an empathetic young man who was constantly eager to meet people from all sorts of diverse backgrounds. In that way, I saw a lot of myself in him. We both valued unique perspectives from other people and grew a lot from exposure to people from all walks of life. I was so happy to hear Landon got to travel abroad and even more delighted when he returned so enriched from the lessons and experiences he had while in other countries. As Landon grew and matured to the lovable and charismatic man we all knew, his time was often spent out in the real world socializing with new friends. Though I constantly missed his presence playing games with me online, I was so proud of him for putting himself out there and making friends as easily as organically as he had done with me so many years prior. Landon gave me and everyone around him so much happiness and appreciation for life. He was goofy and light-hearted and always saw the good in people and bad situations. I have so many happy memories of him and I'm fortunate enough to have some of them saved as video clips and photos from the many games we played together. Coming to terms with losing him is something I still battle daily. I fought back constant tears and hyperventilating because I wanted to make a video memorializing the often silly, stupid moments we had together so that I could share them with his family and friends who may have never seen them otherwise. God, I miss you so much Landon. There's not a day that goes by that I'm not grateful for that chance encounter in a game I wouldn't typically play that led to such a wonderful friendship with you. Thank you for being in my life and I hope you are resting peacefully now.