Devin Garrett Grasso

Devin was a great kid. Smart, funny, handsome and wise beyond his years. He was an old soul and if he loved you, you knew it.

Devin was interested in history. His favorite topics were WWII and the Titanic. He was also up on all current events in China and would often tell us the news there and be surprised that we had not heard about it, as if it was our own local news. He did not care to keep up with US Politics but was very disturbed by what he was reading and watching about China.

Devin loved plushies. He always had one on him, whether you could see it or not. When he learned to drive, he had one in the passenger seat. When he went to Job Corps and didn't bring one, he asked me to Amazon him one ASAP so he could get some sleep. It's hard to say which was his favorite but I know he loved his "Pocket Sheep", which was a sheep small enough to fit in a pocket and go unnoticed but large enough to provide the comfort he was looking for.

Devin thought clothes were ridiculous. It's not that he thought everyone should run around without them, it was that he thought nobody should care how other people look. It was not unusual for Devin to walk out the door with his pants tucked into his socks, his pockets hanging out and his shirt on inside out and backwards. He'd plop a hat on top of his head and go about his business without a care in the world. We once watched "The Devil Wears Prada" and when it was over, all he could say was "I can't believe people think like that." He had freedom from that worry and while it sometimes drove me batty, I had to also respect it and wish I had a little more of it.

Devin would never turn down Garfield anything. He loved hats and mugs as well as stuffed animals. Same was true of sheep. He was a sheep lover and was not put off by a baaaaaaaad sheep joke.

Devin was smart. Sure, he made good grades in school, but you should have seen that kid take apart a Watchman or put together a 1970's generator. He once, not too long ago, got that Watchman to play the intro to Patty Duke and smiled as I sang along. Another time he took a tiny vintage tv set and managed to tune into Hollis playing video games in black and white. He was super smart and great with electronics.

Devin loved tea. Over the past year or two, the two of us started going to tea rooms that were within an hour or so. We'd sit and enjoy a cup of tea and a snack as we critiqued the place based on atmosphere, music, service and tea variety. We giggled when one tearoom was over the top with fake flowers hanging all over, including from the ceiling. It offended Devin's senses in a way that still makes me chuckle. We agreed that the best tearoom we had visited was in the Boston Public Library. There were tall brick ceilings, a bar and good music for the atmosphere. The service was excellent and the tea variety was the best. We each got a pot and shared with each other, agreeing that the orange was the more superior tea by far.

Devin enjoyed photography and had a good eye for it. He was given a 35mm camera last year for Christmas and although the camera offered auto, he went onto Youtube and learned how to take photos using the manual setting. He had a good eye for lines. In addition to the 35mm, he bought himself a Polaroid and had an album that he enjoyed showing us. He'd take the camera everywhere, but I think he most enjoyed taking car rides or hikes with his father and taking pictures on their adventures.

Devin took chances with food. He ate everything we put in front of him and finished it all without complaint. He also enjoyed eating MREs, so... Really though, if a kid could survive on candy and chips, that would have been his diet of choice. Cinnamon and lemon candy and Cheese Its. No birthday cake, just a large cookie cake or a batch of cookies. Oh, and poutine was on his Christmas wish list every year. For a small kid, he sure could eat.

Devin knew a lot about cars. He was most interested in imports and told us a lot about a car called the Trabant. I had to google this to tell you, but Devin knew and told us several times that "The Trabant had a steel frame, with the roof, boot lid, bonnet, wings and doors made of duroplast, a hard plastic made from recycled cotton waste from the Soviet Union and phenol resins from the East German dye industry." So, basically, parts of the car were made of compressed and resined clothes and Devin thought that was just the coolest.

Lastly, we couldn't talk about Devin without his love of video games. He lived in a whole other world that I never understood but it was a place where he and Hollis could meet and understand each other. It was a language that they had that we were not a part of, and I know that is going to be deeply missed.

Devin was a kind, loving soul who was too sensitive to endure, and we will miss him every day for the rest of our lives. We are all better for having Devin in our lives and we will all be changed by the loss of him.

I wish I had spent more time getting to truly know Devin. He was quiet, but always so kind. If you needed someone to brighten your day, he was the person to go to. May he rest in peace.

May you rest in eternal peace Devin.

Joe Leverone
GatherNH.