Tupper's Eulogy

I'm here to say Thank You. I say Thank you to Rob, for his friendship, for his love, for his brotherhood. I say thank you to Rob, for his service to our country, for his sacrifice for our freedom. I say Thank you to Rob for his smile, and for his laughter. Thank You Rob.

I'm here to say Thank You. Thank you to God. Thank you for the gift that was Rob Elortegui.

Rob was a gift... he was a gift to us all....a gift from God, his way of telling us 'Thank you for living a good life.' I took a lot of time, and I pondered this question. If God can give us a gift like Rob, I thought about all the gifts that God gave Rob. The answer caused me to look no farther than the walls of this church. Each and everyone of us, in this room and around the world, was a gift to Rob. Look around you. God showered Rob in gifts during his time on this planet. Spoiled him silly...and Rob deserved it. God rewarded him for leading the life that he lived. Think about it, we all made Rob's life better. We did. It makes me happy knowing that I was a gift to Rob. And I know I was a gift to Rob, because he so eloquently nicknamed me after his favorite part of the female anatomy. I put a smile on his face. Everyone in here put a smile on Rob's face, and he did the same for each and every one of us.

Money, materialistic things...they meant little to Rob. He'd give, and gave, everything up for the gifts that God gave him on this Earth. Rob was special in that he knew that. He treasured each and every one of us. He protected us. He loved us.

My Mom says that everyone has a plan...and only God knows it. I'm comforted in the fact to know that Rob followed that plan without question. He treasured what God gave him, and made the most of it. He lived day by day, for the day...and many times into the wee hours of the morning. God put Rob in all our lives for a reason, and took him for a reason. He smiles down on us today. Rob has fulfilled his purpose in life, and God's plan was finished for him here on Earth. Rob will live on, in each and everyone of us. We take with us his smile, his laughter, his love...until we meet again.

Think about how delicately planned out Rob's life was. For, when God laid out his plan for Rob, he saved the best for last. It's like Rob was the little kid with all the presents under the tree, who waited until the end to unwrap the biggest gift with the shiniest wrapping paper. Sara, you were that big present in the shiny wrapping paper. Rob was at the peak of his happiness when he was engaged to you. You were God's last gift to Rob, God's way of saying Thank You Rob. Everyone in this room wishes they were that gift, but that honor is bestowed on you, and that is a gift that you will always have. That's Rob's last gift to you. (I adlibbed here that no longer was that previous sentence correct. The "sweet sixteen," as we've been called, and all of Rob's friends and family are his last gifts to you. Gifts that will continue to give.)

As we leave today, thank God for the many gifts that he's put in your life. Thank God that Rob was a gift to you, and that you were a gift to him. Look around at the gifts that God has put in your life. Feel Good again. Feel like a kid on Christmas...and smile...and once you put that smile on your face, it's Rob's way of telling you that it's time to "Get Rowdy" again.

Godspeed Rob. I love you. We all Love you. Thank you.