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Remembering Erik Gray

Erik Gray lost an on-again, off-again battle with cancer on Friday morning. He was initially diagnosed with megral epidermal carcinoma cancer when he was 16, but despite receiving treatment for his cancer, it came back multiple times.

He finished his chemotherapy treatment in April 2015 and hoped his cancer wouldn’t come back for good.

His motto in life was YOLO. He started saying it as a joke, but it eventually stuck.

“Especially with cancer, anybody’s days are numbered I just really want to get the most out of every day,” he said.

Gray transferred to USU, where he studied speech-language pathology, was a member of the A-Team and was known for his appearance in the Snapchat story which went viral last spring — he was No Spoiler Boy.
USU really is the best around academically and socially, Gray said.“The SnapChat story was my best Logan adventure,” he said.

“Logan’s amazing and I finally feel like I’ve found my place,” Gray said. “The Aggie family is a real thing … I was in Logan for a year … and then yeah.”

Gray’s doctors told him his cancer came back right before he started his senior year at USU, but this time they said it was terminal.

“I was angry at first and really upset,” she said. “But miracles do happen.”

He said his faith in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints helped him come to the understanding that everything happens for a reason.

“I just, I don’t know, like to do fun stuff and make it worth it,” he said.

*The Utah Statesman took quotes from an interview with Erik Gray on August 19, 2016. 

Because of Erik

By Teigan Beck 

Because of Erik Gray, Utah State is an Aggie family. Erik was a friend, A-team member, COMD student and most importantly he made your day better by being there for you. Whether he was yelling YOLO while sledding down Old Main Hill or guiding new students around USU for the first time, he always had a smile on his face and joy in his eyes.

Because of Erik I had a friend to study with and didn’t fail my anatomy of the ear class. Because of Erik I had support in my campaign for my current position in USUSA. Because of Erik I am who I am today. Hundreds of students and faculty members across campus have similar but individual stories such as mine. Erik’s overwhelming love for others and his innate passion for service helped create the Aggie Family we have today.

Because of Erik our Aggie family is mourning but we can be the good in the world just as Erik was. Erik passed away after his battle with cancer Friday morning at 6:45am, surrounded by loved ones in Cedar City. What the Gray family may not know is hundreds of family members in Logan also mourned a great man that day.

Because of Erik we can be better human beings. I found wisdom and inspiration through Erik’s blog which can be found at http://lifewithoutafibula.blogspot.com and is called Life Without A Fibula. As it states in the bio, “In December 2012, my fibula was taken out of my left leg to replace cancer-infected bone in my chin. This is all about my experiences with cancer and the growth that I have had because of it!” I’ve learned so much from the experiences Erik has shared there. As I reread his last post after hearing that he had passed away, I noticed how even near his death he was thinking of others. He invites everyone to set goals and complete them, take time to relax and enjoy the moment, and stay stronger together.

Because of Erik I am a better person and now I hope I can be like that for someone else. Erik’s life has come to an end but the values and friendship he fought for have not. I know he would want us to “keep running” and change the world just like he did.

Erik’s funeral will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, February 20, 2017 at 725 South 1100 West, Cedar City, UT. A viewing will be held on Sunday, February 19, 2017 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Southern Utah Mortuary (190 North 300 West, Cedar City, UT). A viewing will be held on Monday, February 20, 2017 from 9:30-10:30 am at the Cedar West Stake Cente

— Teigan Beck is the USUSA Education and Human Services Senator.