Remembering Michael Ice, adopting the philosophy he lived by

Michael Ice, nicknamed "Ice" by his friends, was a friendly, happy, outgoing young man with an inviting smile that never left his face.

Ice was the person who would turn a stressful day into a happy one with a simple 10-minute conversation outside 8:15 at Boatwright or with one of his hugs, which could instantly put me at ease.

Ice got along with everyone; he was charming, personable and extremely outgoing.

Every break we had from classes, Ice, Luke Delaney, RC '11, and I drove back home together, to the Tristate area. I remember Mike always requested that I bring treats for the road; his favorite were brownies and chocolate cookies -- soft on the inside, but crispy on the edges.

After a little too much rap music, Ice would suggest something more relaxed like Jimmy Buffett, Xavier Rudd or Dave Matthews Band. He made that brutal drive down the Jersey Turnpike through Washington, D.C., back to Richmond more enjoyable than I had ever dreamed a roadtrip could be. Those eleven-hour drives -- that should have been six -- will always remain some of my fondest memories of Ice.

While attending the wake and funeral in his hometown of Rye, N.Y., this past week, something that came up repeatedly was that no one could think of a time when they'd seen Ice sad, angry or upset. He was always happy, or as Will Gahagan, RC '11, said, Ice was "naive to the evils of the world."

Sophomore Kevin Westerman, described Ice as the nicest person he had met at Richmond.

"After the first time I met him, he always greeted and talked to me as if we had been best friends for years," he said.

At this point in our post-college careers, most of us have accepted the full effect of what it means to have a job, pay rent, get bills in on time and function as real adults.

But, I think that the loss of our beloved friend has put things in perspective: At the end of the day a job is just that -- a job. Mike Ice, who so often was the life of the party, as trite as that may sound, was an inspiration to all of us.

Yes, we may be stressed, we may need five shots of espresso to get through the workday and we may complain constantly about living in the real world, but at the end of it all, there is something to be said for the way Ice lived his life with a cheerful, positive and compassionate outlook.

The best way to keep his memory alive is to adopt his life philosophy and make it our own. We may have lost one of our greatest friends, but as Jimmy Buffett, an artist who Mike Ice loved and respected, put it, "I just want to live happily ever after, every now and then."

Ice's effervescent spirit will continue to live on through all whose lives have been touched by him.