God designed David in the womb of his mother as a trailblazer. He demonstrated what it meant to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. Everyone who knew David admired him for his ability to attract others, his appreciation for beauty and his joy. Though young, David was goal oriented, a true achiever. He loved the sport of basketball and would play with his best friend Isaac as often as he could. His favorite basketball team was the Cleveland Cavaliers. David was dedicated to basketball; his dream was to play in the NBA one day.

Basketball was his craft, but nothing overshadowed the love that David had for his family. Every day, David would express his love and gratitude for his mother, father, siblings, extended family members and friends through prayer. He was concise and thoughtful ending each prayer with, “I love you God”. Full of intuition as it related to the things of God, David often declared with certainty that “Heaven is real”. His favorite movie was The Passion of the Christ. He would watch the crucifixion scene intensely, perhaps to gain an understanding of the purpose of our savior who came to give the ultimate gifts of love and everlasting life. David modeled love in a way we all can learn from. He embodied love in his actions and words toward others. He prayed for everyone. He spent quality time with the people he loved. He practiced his craft diligently and visualized himself reaching his dreams. Most importantly, David loved God infinitely.

God allowed us to borrow one of his best so that we could witness what His love is truly like. David will forever be loved and missed by his family, his loved ones and everyone who had the pleasure of encountering his incredible spirit. David Tolani remains a good and faithful servant of God, and through his life, he has blazed a trail; a path of light that we all can use as a shining example to demonstrate God’s love to others through our own lives.