Luke Hoyer

Luke Thomas Hoyer, lovingly referred to as “Lukey Bear” by his family, was a bright 15-year-old and was known for his reserved attitude. His friends knew him best for his quick-witted personality and different attitudes towards strangers and friends. He was born on Oct. 25, 2002 in Louisville, Colorado to his parents Gena and Tom Hoyer, and is survived by his sister, Abby Hoyer and his brother, Jake Hoyer. Luke was a loving teenager known not only for his vibrant personality but also for his passion for basketball, video games and chicken nuggets.

Luke may not have been known by all his classmates, but he certainly left an impact on those who got to know him. Luke, who was known by a majority of his peers for his reserved and quiet behavior when not with close friends, was the absolute epitome of positivity to his friends and family who loved him dearly.

Like many others who were lucky enough to have developed deeper bond with him, close family friend Tyler Gaffney saw the glowing personality beneath Luke's quiet outer shell.

“Although a man of few words, Luke was a truly kind soul that had put others before himself. If you were lucky enough to know him well, you knew of his profound imitation skills; [he was] always joking in good fun." Gaffney said.

Often times, Luke did not have to speak much to have his presence felt. According to his friends, his actions and smile did the talking for him. The young man was always looking to have fun. While he appeared quiet on the surface, building up a hard outer shell and mysterious personality for those he did not know, his friends knew the true Luke who could always make them smile and laugh.

“Luke was the king of one-word answers; he would answer his friends with more, but never to adults… He was a very quiet kid but very funny, always had a contagious smile, and it made you feel better when you saw it,” freshman Luke Rothstein said.

Luke’s family recounted the comical attempts to get more than a one-wordanswer out of him. In order to get around this obstacle, his family would ask him complicated questions that would warrant a sentence or two, requiring him to elaborate.

Social studies teacher Ernie Rospierski was Luke’s favorite teacher. Rospierski, a known comedian to many of his students, explained that Luke had impacted his life while a student in his class. He recalls a life lesson he learned from Luke from his time teaching him. “One thing I’ll always remember and learn from him is to appreciate my friends and not let anything get in the way of them knowing,” Rospierski said. “He was a special kid no doubt.”

Luke experienced this method firsthand, as him and Rospierski shared a close personal bond. Rospierski remembers the quiet but evident presence Luke brought in any room he was in. His fondest memories of Luke include his incredibly positive attitude and heartwarming smile. “I think about Luke now, and I can just see his goofy smile,” Rospierski said. “On the outside he’s like your typical freshman high school boy; [he] loves chicken nuggets, talking to his friends and [playing] sports.”

While Luke was not a man of many words, his tone and speech with the words he spoke did leave a mark on those around him. Many of his friends gushed about him, describing him as an amazing person who touched their lives in a way that no one else could.

“All the years I spent with him, he had to be one of the nicest kids I will ever meet. He always knew how to put a smile on my face,” St. Thomas Aquinas freshman Sophia Laggan said.

Freshman Zach Spiegel recalls one memory of Luke that truly epitomizes his personality away from friends.

“In my class we had together, we were drafting countries for the mock Olympics, and when it was his turn, he just kept laughing and giving one-word answers to anything our teacher asked. When our teacher asked why, he responded ‘cuz.’ It was funny; Luke had the whole class laughing, [even though] the teacher didn’t think it was so funny,” Spiegel said.

His immense kindness and loyalty were accompanied by his sharp sense of humor. His dry and witty comments never failed to make those around him burst into laughter, and he would often enjoy laughing along with them.

“Luke liked laughing, and that’s how we want to remember him,” Luke’s father

Tom Hoyer said. “There is no way to overcome the pain, but laughing helps. If you see us around, it’s okay to laugh with us. We remember Luke that way.”

Luke brought happiness wherever he went, and those around Luke knew of his radiant smile. His character never failed to lift the spirits of those around him.

“Although he was quiet and unassuming, he had a big presence. He was always ready for a good laugh and he really knew how to make everyone around him smile,” Luke’s sister Abby Hoyer said.

Even in his pictures, Luke can always be found grinning and posing with his thumbs up, exemplifying the optimism and positivity that radiated from his presence.

When he wasn’t cracking jokes, he was always engaging in conversations with his friends. He was a great listener, and he would always be considerate of others' emotions, taking the time to talk with friends who needed it. According to Laggan, Luke was always there for her in times of need. He embodied the characteristics of a good friend and made it his mission to cheer her up.

“No matter what you would talk to him about, he would always be able to respond caringly,” Laggan said.

While some students loved video games, and others were passionate about dance or running, Luke particularly loved chicken nuggets. His friends and family knew of Luke’s love for chicken nuggets, and days after his passing, a group of his friends, including senior Matthew Horowitz and freshman Stephanie Horowitz, got together for a meal of chicken nuggets in his honor.

“We went to BJ’s and ordered chicken nuggets — something Luke always loved. We felt it was a good way to remember him in a positive light, doing something he truly enjoyed,” Matthew Horowitz said.

In school, Luke was involved in DECA and posthumously received an honorary scholarship. His DECA teacher Lisa Webster had only kind words to explain his presence in her classroom. She expalined that Luke always had a smile on his face, he kept quiet and was a sweet student.

In his Spanish class, Luke was active and talkative with his close friends. He was working on a Spanish presentation with his group prior to Valentine’s Day, and was supposed to present it in class a few days later.

“He had excellent friends in my class, and he was a happy person, [which is] something I will always remember [of] Luke,” Spanish teacher Lilian Viloria said. “Luke was one of the excellent students in my class, and I miss him a lot. That was the most difficult part, when I come back and don’t see him, with an empty chair.”

Viloria also recalls Luke as someone who was passionate for basketball, often talking about the sport with his classmates and planning games with his friends.

“He loved his basketball and I could tell that was his passion,” Viloria said. “It was one of the things I know he would probably pursue.”

As an avid basketball player, Luke constantly worked towards becoming the best player he could be. He admired Golden State Warriors player Stephen Curry, and constantly worked on his three-point shot at Terramar Park in the Parkland Recreation Basketball League to emulate Curry.

A dual-sport athlete, Luke was a member of the Parkland youth basketball league and had plans of playing for the MSD football team beginning in his sophomore year.

Known as a quiet kid, Luke had a work ethic that would impress even the most dedicated of athletes — something that was noticed by everyone, yet Luke never bragged about it. He was an extremely hard worker, but at the same time he was incredibly humble and easygoing according to his loved ones. Luke knew when it was time to go to work and when it was time to mess around and have fun.

Although he was a new member of the MSD family, Luke will always be an Eagle and in the hearts of other Eagles. His bright demeanor and loving energy will be remembered by all who knew him. Luke’s zest for chicken nuggets, basketball and life is something that will never be taken from the people who remember him.

This world was blessed with Luke’s presence, and the MSD family will never forget his smile nor the profound impact he had on the lives of those who knew him.

Story by Tyler Avron and Christy Ma; photos courtesy of Gena Hoyer