Jordan Thomas Bayer

Jordan Thomas Bayer of Brookline died on Friday at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC. He was 20 years old. He had suffered severe injuries during a car accident on Thursday night. Jordan was a beloved son of Elizabeth Foley and Steven Bayer. He is survived as well by his brothers Aidan and Desmond, his sister Nora, his grandmother Diane Bayer, his family's long-term nanny and dear friend Janice Lynskey, and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Jordan was a great friend to many. He forged deep bonds at Brookline High, where he played lacrosse, and at Del Frisco's, where he worked summers. He was both a former altar server and a proud Demon Deacon. On Friday with virtually no notice, legions of Jordan's friends from Wake Forest University, many of them members of his Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, dropped whatever else they had going on to spend the evening with him and his family at the hospital. Several core traits made Jordan a wonderful, unique person. He was a pragmatist and a planner. He was also incredibly kind and grateful – grateful for his family, for his friends, grateful in general for a life that, even with its inevitable bumps, he considered blessed. It started early. Always a polished dresser, at six years old, Jordan received a birthday shirt and tie from an aunt. Three days post-party, he was still thanking her. A decade or so later, a cousin proofread his college essays. A thread of gratitude ran through his answers long and short, regardless of topic. Example: "If you were an animal, what would you be?" "A golden retriever. So I could spend time with my loving family and make them happy." When the cousin suggested tempering the gratitude with a little bite, Jordan declined. Bite wasn't his way. On the pragmatic side, Jordan was excited about and planning for the future. At the time of the accident, he was en route back to Wake Forest from New York where he'd just interviewed for an internship at Goldman Sachs. He came away happy, feeling he'd done his best. He knew he wanted to start his career in New York – and already had plans for a roommate, his sister Nora, once she, too, graduated. At home during fall break in October, Jordan's mother happened to see his driver's license, which indicated his opt-in to the organ donation process. They'd never spoken about it before. Indicative of the pragmatic kindness that was Jordan's way, he said, "Why wouldn't you sign up?" On Saturday night, Jordan had a final surgery, for removal of his healthy vital organs for donation. Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, November 12th from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Bell-O'Dea Funeral Home, 376 Washington Street, Brookline. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow on Friday at 10 a.m. at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Brookline. Interment Holyhood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Ronald McDonald House Boston at www.rmhboston.org, or (617) 734-3333.