Gardner described Connor as an avid Atlanta Braves fan who loved the outdoors. But in mid-February, Connor took a trip to Colorado and Wyoming. He and his girlfriend were in a car when they lost control and got into a fatal accident. And on Feb. 18, the cold, hard feeling of loss hit Gardner when she learned her brother had died.
“We didn’t get to see him again, and so the only thing we had left was getting him back,” Gardner said. “You can’t have another holiday together. You don’t get to celebrate a birthday together.”
The U.S. Postal Service was the only way to ship Connor’s remains back home. Gardner expected him back by Feb. 26 at the latest. She checked the mailbox every day. But the family held a celebration of life on March 3 without their loved one.
Connor finally came home the next day — a day after the memorial service.
