On November 10, 1991 We were blessed with our youngest child Patrick Hugh Strain. His grandfather Hugh Ralph Strain was so proud as he had been a part of this birth from the very beginning and had watched out for us in so many ways. Patrick was very different from my other children at birth as he was so aware of everyone and his surroundings. Patrick would laugh every time he saw you and could just make you feel that everything was okay.

I remember feeling so energetic and happy directly after having Patrick as the birth had been so easy on me as well. I could not believe how wonderful I felt. The woman who shared my room after giving birth to her son, said she thought I was a nut case, but after meeting my baby boy she could understand my excitement.

As Patrick grew he was full of energy and love every day of his life and loved to share it with everyone he met. When he was just 18 months old he would watch his Sister Airica and his Brother David chasing each other in circles in the house and was so excited to join in, he would begin to run in his walker after them.

My son wanted to be a part of everything, but yet at times you would see him sitting and just watching people as if he was trying to understand them and pondering a purpose. His insight was incredable for his age and my son often left me with some things to think about.

Patrick loved to skateboard and as he grew he had the courage to become more skilled and worked so hard at perfecting this skill. As we watched from our porch, we were so amazed at the abilities he had and how determined he was to perfect what he was doing. We often thought to ourselves that if everyone had that much determination, think of what a wonderful world this would be.

Patrick also loved to hunt and fish and went frequently with his best friends family on weekends. Patrick was so full of nature and the wonder of things and was always concerned about how things fell into place in life. We thank the Lord for blessing us with the Musgrove family who helped Patrick learn simpler things that carried through in everything he did. Before Patrick's passing he wanted to take his hunters safty course so that he could learn the ethics behind hunting and become responsible. This was not something that we suggested. This was something he knew he should do.

My son Patrick was so generouse with his things and his life, it's hard to place in words. I remember on several weekends, I wouldn't see him for most of the weekend, but when he would come home, he would be so exhausted from mowing lawns and washing cars so that he could make enough money to save for the things he wanted to buy and to send money to his foundation "St. Joseph's Indian School". I new that he had received several subscription foundations in the mail, but he really wanted to know why he was receiving them. When he had asked me about these things, I had told him that he would probably receive several, but he needed to find one that he was comfortable with sending his money to and to do what God tells him to do. Not only did my son send money, he wrote to them telling them that this wasn't much and he hopes that this helps the indian children and that he would send more later. The sincerity he placed within this note placed me in awe of my son as I knew that we had all taught him the right things.

Patrick was always speaking of responsiblity and what more he could do to show that he was responsable. After he had saved so diligently for his razor scooter and on the day before his passing we had gone to several different Wal-mart stores to track one down. The excitement in his eyes radiated that day as we went to breakfast that morning, he could speak of nothing else.

If everyone could see how happy and proud he was those two days, you would understand that our son did not die in vien. Our son died doing exactly what he wanted to do and being the person he wanted to be to everyone he touched.

God bless all of you, be responsible for one another, take care of one another and spread your love to everyone you meet as my son would want you to pay it forward.

With our deepest love,

David, Linda, Airica and David Jr.
Please make all charitable contributions to St. Joseph's Indian School at this link - http://www.stjo.org/

Patrick Strain died on December 4, 2005. Arrangements under the direction of Florida Memorial Funeral Home in Rockledge, FL.