Jordan Singer

MANCHESTER - Jordan Singer of South Boston, a world traveler, devoted husband and cherished son who was a diehard Boston sports fan and who befriended nearly everyone he met, died Tuesday, March 21, 2017, after a defiant five-year battle with cancer. He was 28.

"When you die, that doesn't mean you lose to cancer," the late ESPN anchor and cancer patient Stuart Scott said in 2015. "You beat cancer by how you live." Jordan wholeheartedly embraced that credo.

A year after being diagnosed with epithelioid sarcoma, Jordan married his college sweetheart, Amy Lynn (Vanni) Singer, in a storybook wedding in Napa Valley, and then continued to travel the globe with Amy and his family. Despite his disease, he crossed oceans to summit the Matterhorn in Switzerland in 2013 and trek to the top of the Great Wall of China in Beijing in 2014.

Even after losing his right arm to the disease, Jordan went to Puerto Rico to re-learn to play golf, one of his favorite pastimes, and continued to travel and play with his father and brother. Late in his life, he made a birdie at Turnberry Country Club in Miami - his first birdie with one arm - a tremendous feat that brought him tremendous joy.

During his lifetime, Jordan also traveled to England, France, Greece, Spain, Italy, Canada, Israel and beyond, as well as to Arizona in 2015 to watch his beloved New England Patriots win Super Bowl 49.

Along the way, he made friends with everybody: colleagues, waiters, caddies, cousins, young, old, rich and poor.

In Jordan's final months, friends, family and colleagues traveled from all over the country to visit his bedside. They all believed Jordan was their best friend because he made everyone feel special.

Jordan lived and breathed Boston sports, particularly the Patriots, Celtics and Red Sox. He and Amy named their beloved dog Brady after New England's all-world quarterback. A few months before his death, Jordan's family arranged for Jordan, Amy and friends to meet the real Tom Brady at Gillette Stadium. It was a truly special moment for Jordan.

In 2004, he attended much of the Red Sox's playoff run - including World Series games in Boston - as the Red Sox ended their 86-year championship drought. He also attended Patriots' Super Bowl victory in 2003 in Houston, their Super Bowl loss in 2012 in Indianapolis, the Red Sox 2013 World Series Championship in St. Louis, and watched them win Super Bowl LI in February at his home surrounded by his friends and family.

Cancer also couldn't stop him from his other hobbies. He loved food and loved to cook. He continued to experiment in the kitchen after his amputation, relying on Amy's skills as a sous chef to manage some of the tasks. And together they ate at some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the world.

His lifelong love of basketball - possibly his favorite sport - carried into his professional life. After graduating from college, Jordan worked as an assistant basketball coach at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire. After leaving Plymouth State, Jordan and Amy moved to Chicago to start Midwest Recruiting Report - a scouting and recruiting service for women's basketball in the Midwest.

In all of his ventures and adventures, Jordan touched everyone he met.

"Thank you for everything you have done for me," wrote Sam Lambrigtsen, a college basketball player whom Jordan helped get a college scholarship and who recently sent Jordan a postcard. "You do so much for others and expect nothing in return. I am forever grateful for the positive energy you always bring."

Jordan is survived by his wife and his doting parents Robert Singer and Ziva (Schubert) & Roy Summers. He was devoted brother of Amanda & Dr. Joshua Toll, and Jason Singer & Susan McMillan, and fond uncle of Isaac Toll. He was treasured son-in-law of Denny & Linda Vanni. He was the dear grandson of Bernice (Siegel) & the late Irving L. Singer, as well as the late Dorothy (Webber) & Richard Schubert. Jordan will be sorely missed by his aunts, uncles, cousins and many friends.

Services will be at Temple Israel, 66 Salmon Street, Manchester, New Hampshire at noon on Thursday, March 23. Burial will be in the Manchester Hebrew Cemetery. Shiva at the home of Robert Singer will be through Wednesday morning, March 29.

Please omit flowers. Remembrances would be appreciated to the Jordan's Dream Fund at 794 E. Sixth St. Unit 1, Boston, MA. The fund will help young adults battling cancer.

Levine Chapels, Brookline
617-277-8300
www.levinechapel.com