Alexander Jacob Gulde

This is where you would traditionally read the story of our son. His should have been a long memoir filled with anecdotes of joy, love, and adventure, but we only get the first couple of chapters.

Alex was the embodiment of his mother's long held dream – a healthy, beautiful, intelligent boy. He spent more of his early years in Susie's arms than anywhere else and they were incredibly close. Mom taught him to sign before he could speak and swim before he could run - every day he thrilled and amazed us.

He loved critters of all types and had a way with (most of) them. I remember a time at the park when a butterfly landed on his fingertip and stayed there for several minutes – occasionally fluttering off to return a moment later. He was hooked. I think he was stung three times collecting bees to feed to his jumping spiders before he discovered tweezers. A day of fishing at Hat Creek with Grandpa resulted in zero fish, seven lizards, and two snakes. Of course, no creature lit up his world like our dog, which he named CASSie – using the initials of everyone in the family.

Alex was an incredible big brother, best friend, and mentor to Christopher. They spent entire summers in the pool, warming on the deck, eating meals on the patio, and celebrating birthdays. At the ocean, they loved swimming, snorkeling, and body surfing together– but were just as happy digging giant holes, often burying each other, or building sand forts and defending them against the incoming tide. In the mountains, they enjoyed hiking, climbing, exploring, and just being near the running water. Amusement parks were a favorite for several years, flying along roller coasters with their hands raised or jockeying to be drenched on the water rides.

As a young teenager, Alex loved the popular fantasy franchises, but his favorite was the mythology behind the Percy Jackson series. A few years later, it was the Marvel cinematic universe – and yes, he cried unabashedly every time during the climactic battle in End Game.

He loved games of all sorts – from chess to Pokémon to Exploding Kittens, and of course, video games. He primarily played on his PC or Switch but would still occasionally break out the Game Boy Advance his sister gave him years ago for some old time Mario. Some game characters are even included in the collection of ceramic pieces that he created in school. He created some very nice pieces over the years, but I think his favorite was the giant Infinity Gauntlet – not only because it was from his favorite franchise, but because he would occasionally wear it during sillier rants.

Alex had one lifelong friend in his "inner circle" and several good friends in varying orbits (this is how he described it). He had a quick wit, leaning a little too sarcastic for some, and loved to trade barbs with those who could take and dish it right back. Our back-and-forth playful rants are treasured memories. He was small of frame, but when he was on a roll, his voice and laughter would fill our house.

He was burdened with heartache a few times but was also blessed with one long term (in teenage years) loving relationship. This was one of his most joyful times and we continue to cherish these memories.

He spent a couple of years in the U.S. Navy Sea Cadets, completing boot camp, earning his Coast Guard Boating Safety certification and HAM radio license. He decided against joining the military, choosing instead to stay with us at home while attending college full time and working part time at FedEx. This was good news for me, since some of my favorite memories are of us working together on projects around the home.

I wish I had the skill, but I could write volumes and never come close to capturing Alex or what he meant to us. Alex was a blessing and irreplaceable treasure, loved beyond words, and we will miss him for the rest of our lives.