Shared Memory from Tristan on Vincent Hanna:

What can I say man, we’ve been friends since I was 13 and moved to Iowa, but we really became brothers when I was 15.

Man, when I just think about I just think about our relationship over 24 years all I can think of is brotherhood. People would randomly come up to me and say, “after all of these years yall are still tight.” I would often have to sit back and think hell yeah, we still tight but I would forget just how many of our classmates and associate often would fall out simply grow apart. We never had any type of fall outs nor any type of altercations. Nothing but pure love and trolling when one of our teams lost.

Since the age of 13 we’ve been through every stage of life together. We’ve been teammates, roommates, artist and DJ, fishing partners, travelers, uncles, coaches against each other and coached side by side. You name it, we did it and we did it TOGETHER. Once we graduated college you were the one who convinced your parents for me to move in so I didn’t have to move back to Illinois with my folks. It was you who told me to get that DJ equipment and give it a chance, and man it’s been one of the best pieces of advice you gave me.

No matter what you had going on you kept me included. You were also kept me on everything related to lil Wayne. You would always come back from trips to Memphis or Indiana and you always had a new mixtape.

The thing made our bond even stronger was not only respect and love but you were so empathetic. When my family was goin thru hell at church yall welcomed me with open arms at union. I remember when I got wrongfully arrested yall were right there to pick me up.

I’ve gotten the chance to see you become a dad, a FULL TIME DAD at that. You fully blossomed into that stage of life and I’ve even see you treat other women’s children as if they were your own. You set the standard on how to be a father.

The even more crazy thing is that people often drift apart or don’t communicate as much when one of them moves to the other side of the country. But that was the complete opposite. We became even closer, sometimes staying on the phone for 2-3 hrs at a time. Deep down I knew that we missed each other but I think you knew just how much support I was gonna need starting my life over in Houston.

What I’m gonna miss about you, man EVERYTHING   what most people don’t know was that this weekend was supposed to be your bachelor party but God had other plans.

What I want everyone to remember about you was that from Sun up to sun down, you were a servant. From serving your family, to serving everyone else’s kids in the community, you served literally until it was your time. Just when you had elevated every aspect in your life (new job, new coaching opportunity, one of the biggest basketball platforms on Instagram, to marriage) God said job well done my good and faithful servant.

This weekend is gonna be extremely painful. I’ve been battling with every emotion I’ve been experiencing and I think that it feels like a part of me is gone. but I know we’re all gonna get thru it together as a family and community. You already know I got Brae Brae and Malaysia. Thought it all I know God had a plan and I’m eternally grateful he gave me a brother in you.

Till we meet again, I Love you in this life and in the next! Vincent Hanna  

Proverbs 18:24

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