Goodbye, Troy

 

Troy Colclasure in 1979 at age 13 

 

This morning, I received the heartbreaking news that my older brother, Troy Colclasure, passed away the previous night. He died in the Desert Regeniol Hospital in Palm Springs, California, a little over three hours after being taken off of the ventilator that had kept him alive. His passing was peaceful and he had family with him.

 

One of my favorite memories of Troy was how he supported me in everything I liked to do. And when I told him one day that I was just somewhere by myself, singing (I was too shy to sing in front of people), he encouraged to sing for him.

 

Well, him and his friend, Chris. Those two were like brothers. They hung out constantly. We all loved Chris’ mom, too.

 

Troy with his buddy, Chris, and his wife, Jamie. They were friends for life.

Well, Troy and Chris happened to discover that I had been singing in private, so Troy encouraged me to sing for him and Chris. So I did. I was in the school chorus at the time, so I sang one of our songs.

 

And before I got to the end of the song, Troy and Chris clapped and cheered. When I told them the song wasn’t finished yet, they laughed.

 

I don’t know if Troy was trying to get rid of his kid sister so that he could hang out with his buddy or if my singing was that bad, but I remember how it put a smile on my face that he took the time to listen to me sing, when nobody else did.

 

Another memory I have is on late one night, when Troy and our dad were playing video games in the room I slept in. I was really tired and wanted to go to bed, but Troy and Dad were having too much fun playing the video games and didn’t want to stop just yet. Then Troy asked me to get him a soda. After I grabbed the can of soda from the fridge, I angrily shook it real good before handing it to him. I heard the can open and explode as I walked away, then the sound of Troy’s laughter.

 

Me, holding a baby, my sister, Jeanette (pregnant with her first child), our mom and Troy 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s the one thing I will always remember about Troy: He had such a good sense of humor. There were so many times he laughed over something or another. He was also a really funny guy, saying and doing things that made us laugh.

 

Troy with our dad and, in the background, is Jeanette

 

Troy loved music and was often found listening to his favorite songs. Even as an adult, he often blasted music in his house, enjoying the songs he loved listening to. He was a fun-loving guy and embraced the many road trips and long-distance moves our family made because he loved adventure.

 

One other memory I have of Troy is the time we were in the middle of one of our moves out of state. We had stopped at a gas station to fuel up and Troy went inside this building where two concession stands stood. He calmly inserted money into one of the machines and entered his selection. The next thing he knew, a ton of snacks started falling from their slots. Troy acted fast, grabbing all of them and shoving them into his pockets. I saw the whole thing and it was hilarious. He came back to the car laughing as he told us what happened. 

 

Because he was the oldest sibling, he was often put in charge of chores. So any time my mom reminded him about this, he’d go around the house, barking orders and giving all of us chores to do. I remember how I wished he’d actually DO something too, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but laugh about it because I thought it was funny.

 

One holiday that was HUGE in our family, besides Christmas, was the 4^th of July. After Troy got married and moved to another city, we started going out to his house for the 4^th of July. It was always a big event for all of us and Troy made it extra special by going to town with food, drinks, music and fireworks. He had a big front yard so we always grabbed a patio chair and enjoyed the MANY cool fireworks that were set off in his yard. It was awesome and always lots of fun. (Well, there WAS that one time there was an accidental fire, which thankfully Troy rushed to put out, but it was still a happy occasion.)

 

I remember when Troy, his wife and kids attended family dinners too. These were also big events and my dad cooked his famous steaks for the occasion. I remember ALL of us gathered around those big tables, talking, laughing, and just enjoying the moment. Even though my brother lived in another city after he got married, I’m so glad they often came out to visit with us. I had many happy memories with his kids because he didn’t stay away from the family after his marriage. Family was really important to him.

 

Troy was surrounded by his family when he took his last breath on the evening of July 24, 2025. He left this world ten days after turning 57.

 

Troy loved his kids so much and it was a huge deal when those kids were born. My older sister, Jeanette, also became a parent around the same time Troy did, so Troy Jr. and Mikey were often hanging out together as kids. I have so many pictures of those boys together. I also have pictures of Troy and Jeanette both holding their babies. They were both happy to become parents.

 

Even after he got married, moved away and started a family, Troy remained a part of our lives. After I moved to Oregon, we stayed in touch through the occasional card. He didn’t like the relay calls but thankfully his wife took the calls, and I was able to talk with both of them that way. 

 

Troy at his birthday party in 2002

 

I have many happy memories of Troy. Of my two brothers, he was the best. He never used me, abused me, or hit me up for money. He never made fun of me for my burn scars or the hand injury. He never broke my trust in him and he was always there to talk to if I needed him. He was definitely my rock and a good older sibling. Sure, we had our squabbles, like siblings had, but they were very few. Troy was easy to get along with. He was protective and kind. He showed me what a brother is supposed to be like and his presence always cheered me up. He was a good friend, confidante, good brother, good father, and a good grandfather.

 

Troy will forever remain in my heart and I will miss him very much. He is back in the arms of our mother now and no longer in anymore pain. May he rest in peace.