on the eve of nori’s birthday i was told some devastating news. a dear friend, mentor & teacher of mine passed away. as many of you
may or may not know, i was very involved at Seton HS in the service club and campus ministry. Adam Renner played a
very significant role in my life through the majority of my HS career, as he was the moderator for service
club. however, he was far from just the moderator, and we were far from just his students. he was young when he started
teaching which made it very easy for a handful of us to grow closer to him than you would any other teacher. there was
a group of 6 of us that spent time, before and after school, and TONS of weekend time together: brenda, maureen, erin,
myself, him and his wife, gina. whether it was attending mass before school hrs, the soup kitchen, mission trips, camping trips,
nursing homes, earth labs, kids cafe or countless other service related trips, going to coffee shops listening to him jam out, we were
always hanging out. though we weren’t always giving our love to less fortunate, we were often just there to support each other. some
of my favorite memories with him were going to perkins, price hill chili, hanging out in the chapel, or even playing frisbee wherever and
whenever we were outside. HS was/is a struggle for many, myself VERY much included. Renner taught me how important it was to
commit yourself to giving and loving those around you. while i obviously come from a very giving and faithful family, being with
this group of people was a constant reminder day in and out, how important it was to always act out of love. his goal was to save
the world from pain, suffering, hate, and bring all things mercy and justice. he had already impacted the lives of thousands around
the entire world. it’s impossible to even count the number of lives he completely changed with his vision.
so i’m writing this (actually not today, but i wrote it in the middle of the night when i found out, because my heart ached so bad i couldn’t
begin to sleep), because i suppose you don’t truly realize how much someone has impacted you til they are gone. gina asked any
of us who loved and respected him to speak at his service. while i seem like a very outgoing person, i am also VERY emotional, so the
thought of hysterically crying while trying to speak in front of others, doesn’t really appeal to me. :-/ though years have passed
since i’ve seen Ren in person because they moved away, i still felt connected to the group through the funny world of facebook.
while i thought of him often because there are so many places and things that trigger my memories of those days, but i truly will miss
him. i ache for his wife who awoke to find him victim of a heart attack overnight. damage so substantial, it could not
be undone, she had to let him go. he was just so young, so healthy and active, it’s just not fair. barely 40 yrs old. 
he served with such great passion, love and strength, his mission will continue in all of us, especially gina. his vision, his love, his sarcasm,
his sincerity, his music, will never be forgotten. even in this great time of sorrow, i am finding it easy to remember hilarious times we shared.
he would not want us to be sad, but to celebrate his amazing life. in fact, he’s probably pointing and laughing at me right now thinking of
something to tease me about. and one thing i do know, heaven just become a whole lot more awesome with him up there! you will surely
be missed, my friend. peace be with you, as you are in a place far more wonderful than the rest of us. we will meet again one day, and
on that day, i will kick your ass in frisbee. 
just sayin. much love to you gina. thoughts and prayers with you now and always.
<3
i dug up some old pics from one of the first couple times Renner went to the third world side of jamaica to serve. he continued to
serve there year after year, bringing groups with him from various schools with always a mission to ‘love the children.’
i think his guitar was always at arms reach, no matter where he was.
and just bc everyone is in need of a good smile right now. laugh at my expense. this is brenda and i in jamaica. yes, those are home made pants.
and no, i didn’t have jamaican hash in the sack around my neck. 
you’re welcome, brenda
peace. heart, melanie
here are the lyrics to one of his songs:
The Day I Met A Savior (one of my favorite songs Adam wrote/performed)
I said, “Man, how are you today?”
He said, “Boy, are you talking to me?”
I said, “I said yes, and why do you ask?”
He said, “Boy, no one talks to me.”
…He said, “Boy, no one talks to me.”
I said, “Man, why don’t they talk to you?”
He said, “Boy, ’cause I don’t think like they do.”
I said, “Man what do you believe?”
He said, “I believe in peace and love.”
He said, “I believe in peace and love.”
…
I said, “Man, what’s wrong with peace?”
I said, “Also what’s wrong with love?”
He said, “That’s just the way the world is today.”
He said, “That’s just the way the world is today.”
Can you teach me to be like you?
Teach me to fly like the dove.
Can you teach me to be like you?
Teach me to talk, teach me walk?
Why, can’t I be you.
…Why, can’t I be you.
I said, “Man, how are you today?”
He just smiled and said, “Peace be with you.”
He just smiled and said, “Peace be with you.”
cameron james stewart. 12/21/10 7:57pm 8.4lbs. 21 inches.
fresh, swollen, little baby faces are the best.
too bad he’s not a girl! i’d stick a bow in that hair in about two seconds! 
i can’t even look this good on a daily basis, MUCH LESS running on like 20 hrs sleep for the whole week! beautiful mommy!!
what a happy little family. though it’s definitely not going to feel like christmas this year for you…it’s still going to be amazing.
happy holidays guys! you did awesome! he’s so handsome. we couldn’t happy for you! much love to you, enjoy him CAUSE YOU’LL BLINK YOUR
