After a long time staring at this screen i am finally able to write about my big brother Rob Elortegui. I have known Rob for what seems like a lifetime, it is hard for me to remember life before Rob, and equally hard to imagine life without Rob.
My first meeting with Rob was while we were both attending BOOST in Rhode Island. We were competing against eachother in flag football for our respective company's. As i looked across the field i saw this guy with his shirt off (those of you who knew rob it shouldnt be a surprise he had his shirt off) yelling and screaming obsenities to my team like a crazed ray lewis clone. He was larger than life and demanded to be seen, at the time i did not know but this was "Big Rob." The next time i saw Rob it was under much different circumstances we both found out that we would be attending Jacksonville University together. He was not Ray lewis, he was a teddy bear with a unique sense of humor. We found that we had a few things in common such as being the same age, robs birthday is dec 16th 1973 and mine is dec 29th 1973 both of latin background both married although i was seperated, and both business majors. The 1st semester at JU found Rob and i being in all the same classes and becoming good friends, although my new love interest Ali kept us from being too close for fear of him being a bad influence...not Rob!!! Well by the time 2nd semester rolled around Rob was also seperated and my new college roommate, my new brother...we never looked back. We lived together, went to school together, worked together and partied together...Brothers ever since. Every good experience with the exception of my son being born i have shared with Rob, and alot of bad ones too. I say we were brothers because that is truly how we thought of eachother...family. And as family there were some times when we fought, unfortunately for a few months prior to Robs passing there wasnt a lot of communication between the two of us, until i got an email from rob threatening me if i did not respond and talk to my big brother, which i did. A short time later i was at work at cheesecake factory and i saw Rob and Sara out to dinner with some friends and stopped by said hi and bought them a slice of banana creme cheesecake. While i was at the table i noticed that Rob seemed so happy, happier than i have seen him in years, for that we can thank Sara. Before Rob left that day we spoke briefly at the lobby about getting moes for lunch some day and catching up, we hugged told eachother "i love you brother" and that was the last time i saw my big brother Rob Elortegui.
Myself and some of Rob's friends from college stopped by to see Sara today, i couldnt really say anything at first for fear of crying like a little girl and upsetting more people so i waited till everyone left, Sara and i sat down and cried together for a few moments, i wanted to be strong and be there for her but Sara ended up comforting me, she told me how Rob always though of me as his best friend and brother and how he had planned to ask me to be in his wedding, i cried again.
I will never completely recover from losing Rob, nor do i want to. I know we all must feel that way, he had such a huge impact on everyone he met that you dont ever want to let that go. I was priviledged to know Rob better than most, he used to tell my i knew him better than he knew himself, and for that i am forever thankful.
Rob was raised in catholic school and if you can believe it, he was even an altar boy!!! Now Rob has returned to god, they say that god has a plan for everyone...i can only assume that if god has called Rob upto heaven he must be throwing a party and he wants rob to bring the chicks...I cant seem to say it enough I love you Rob, I will see you again soon my brother...but not yet
GET SOME!!!!
Rick Gonzalez
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