Geoffrey Chua Loy's Obituary
Geoffrey Chua Loy, 34, died unexpectedly in a skydiving accident in Eloy, AZ on Thursday, January 21, 2016.
Born on December 29, 1981 in Anderson, SC, he was the youngest of four children to Virgil and Shirley Loy. He attended St. James Catholic School (Savannah, GA), where he upheld the consecutive reign of the school’s Spelling Bee trophy among all the Catholic Schools in the city for 4 years, and graduated at the top of his class. At Savannah Country Day School (Savannah, GA), he ran cross country, played soccer, coached younger soccer players, won first place in the spelling competition for the Georgia Literary meet, and won first place together with 2 classmates at the State Science and Engineering Fair in Athens for their project titled “The Design and Development of an In-Line Chitin Filter for Heavy Metals.” In addition, they won the Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division Award, the Fish and Wildlife Service Award, Stockholm Water Prize, and a Special State Recognition First Place Team Project. They competed at the International Science Fair in Detroit. He was elected homecoming king and graduated valedictorian, stating in his valedictory address, “It is our turn to distinguish ourselves; to act, not just watch, to gain knowledge, wisdom, and passion.” He attended Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA), where he joined the Georgia Tech Flying Club and discovered his love for being up in the sky. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering with the highest honors.
Geoffrey was a true inspiration to living life to the fullest, with utmost respect and reverence for those around us. He was always chasing life experiences as a certified skydiver, certified scuba diver, road and mountain biker, licensed private pilot, certified snowboarding instructor, rock climber, and soccer player. His passion for life and nurturing ways encouraged others to love life as he did. Along with his passion, he always stressed the importance of safety. He was always level-headed and did things the right way; he made sure others did as well, without being pushy or demanding. He wanted things to be fun and safe for everyone, and it always was.
Geoffrey cherished his role as a loving uncle and godfather to his niece and nephews. He was a kid at heart, but his patience was endless. The amount of energy he poured into shaping these young minds to take an active role in life was phenomenal. He had the perfect balance between challenging them to think critically when teaching them new skills, and showing them how to have fun. He taught them the value of hard work and the importance of safety. They meant the world to him, and he was proud of them, as if they were his own.
The sort of unconditional kindness that Geoffrey exuded is too rare in this world. He had an incredible air of humility and humor. He brought a luminescent light and wisdom with his presence. His light couldn’t be ignored when he entered a room because his heart shined right through his chest. He had a tremendous impact on each person he encountered, and he attracted people from all walks of life. He was the kind of person that observed your moods and knew when something was off, and he would take you aside and help without hesitation. He took care of everyone emotionally, along with motivating everyone to be the best they could be with the utmost positivity.
In addition to his parents Virgil and Shirley Loy, Geoffrey is survived by his siblings Grace Loy Angeles, Glenard Chua Loy, and Gynnie Loy Pascual, his nephews Evan Loy Angeles, Dylan Loy Angeles, Carson Loy Angeles, and Robert Jaiden Pascual, and his niece Sydney Loy Pascual. He leaves behind numerous uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends.
A funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 2621 Highway 20 SE, Conyers, GA, on Saturday, January 30th, 2016 at 11:00am to reminisce, grieve, and celebrate Geoffrey’s life, with a gathering immediately following. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Geoffrey may be sent to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (www.bbbs.org), Good Sports (www.goodsports.org), or SOS Outreach (www.sosoutreach.org). A message of condolence may be written here, or by visiting http://memorial.yourtribute.com/Geoffrey-Chua-Loy.
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