Noah Erwin

Noah Matthew Erwin was born to Philip and Rebecca Erwin on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 1997. What a Thanksgiving celebration that was. We were all so excited to meet the next addition to our family. Christian, Gage, and Chase just couldn’t wait for their new baby brother to get here. That Thanksgiving, a son, grandson, brother, an uncle, and cousin arrived that would give us so many things to be thankful for.

We are thankful for Noah’s playful spirit, imagination, and desire to always have fun. He could entertain any room with his singing and dancing. He enjoyed playing the piano and playing music any way he could. Noah used his vivid imagination to play and entertain, even when he was alone. Even when his brother wouldn’t come out and play football with him, he spent many afternoons playing football in his backyard, by himself. He played both offense and defense with his football, made from a Gatorade bottle. He interjected his own commentary dressed in his Taekwondo uniform.

We are thankful for the adventure that Noah brought to our family. Sometimes, Noah went fishing, just as soon as he got off work, or headed downtown to grab a ride on the electric scooters. Noah chose Philip as his partner for his 18th birthday adventure. They camped at Wall Doxey state park. Favorite foods, including s’mores, were cooked on the campfire. Thirty-six holes of frisbee golf were played in just two days. It was too windy to fish, but who needs to fish when you’re having that much fun.

We are thankful for Noah’s tender heart. Noah has always been a sweetheart as evidenced by his first kiss. At only 3 years old he kissed, then leaned in and hugged who would become his lifelong best friend, Cali Pyle.

We are thankful for Noah’s enthusiastic loyalty. He extended that loyalty not only to his family and his friends, but also to the UT Vols, and the New Orleans Saints. Noah valued spending time with his brothers. He spent hours playing Smash Brothers and bowling with Caleb and they both excelled at these games and enjoyed the bond it gave them.

We are thankful for Noah’s daring athleticism. Noah played football. His favorite positions were safety and corner back. For years, him and Nathan played football together, sometimes on the same team. One year, they won the National Youth Football Championships playing on the same team. They were a dynamic duo and found many adventures together from the beginning.

We are thankful for Noah’s friendship. When he first moved to Bartlett, Noah instantly made friends with a kid down the street. Patrick was one of Noah’s closest friends. Noah and Patrick spent a lot of time hanging with Chase learning to skateboard and just do fun stuff like playing “hockey” with nothing but a rock, a few Rip sticks and a plastic bin, as weird as it sounds it really is a fun game. Even if he was having a bad day, Noah was a light to his friends.. He loved his friends as though they were his family. One of his greatest friendships was with Je'Marion who became in every way another brother and an essential part of his family.

We are thankful for the memories and photos of Noah’s unmistakable smile. One could certainly conclude from that smile that he could be quite the "Ladies Man". However, his favorite lady will always be his mother, Rebecca. Her most cherished memories of Noah are cooking together in the kitchen and seeing his excitement when she made sausage gravy and biscuits, his very favorite!.

We are thankful for Noah and his love for all his brothers. Their bond was deeper than any earthly relationship. His oldest brother Christian was his hero. He would lean on him for direction in life and looked to him as a mentor and best friend. Christian would call him often on his way home from work to check on him, talk football, and offer him encouragement. Noah loved their talks.

We are thankful for Noah’s faith. His faith was important to him and he shared it frequently with friends and family. His faith was his strength.

We are thankful for his love for his cousins Hayley, Hayden and Harper. Their bond was untouchable. He was more than an uncle to them, he was a big brother. He was always so good to them and made a lasting impact on their lives.

On September 25th Noah Matthew Erwin left us for his greatest adventure. Although he will be missed, he will live in our hearts and memories. And because of his faith, we can know with certainty that we can one day be with Noah again.

In the words of Gage, Noah was truly a legend. He was the center of his family. He was always gas with no breaks. It’s so difficult to wrap our heads around not being able to see his smile. But, Life is what it is…Love always, smile often and tell everyone you love that you love them while you can. We love you lil Buddy.

Noah is survived by his parents Philip and Rebecca Erwin, his grandparents, Ann Gregory, Patrick Durham, Larry and Frances Pillow his brothers Christian Erwin, Gage Harvell, Chase Harvell, Nathan Erwin, and Caleb Erwin. He also leaves behind many aunts, uncles, and cousins as well as two nieces and a nephew.