David Joseph Grostic

It is with an unthinkable sorrow that we announce the passing of our adored son and brother, David Joseph Grostic, at the age of 27.

Nothing is more devastating, painful, or shattering than the death of a child. The challenge of picturing life without David is staggering.

David was born on February 22, 1999, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Everyone was in awe and blissfully happy that he had arrived into our world. From the very beginning, he brought the brightest light into the lives of everyone who knew him.

David forged the most special, unique, and joyful bond with his mother and his sister. That bond defined David as a lighthouse to everyone who knew him. He simply was LOVE.

He loved everyone who knew him. He was a gift as a son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, boyfriend, friend, and so much more to the people who had the fortune and privilege of sharing life with him.

Everyone who knew David will always remember his grit, authentic self, perseverance, maturity, tenacity, unwavering vision, extreme self-discipline, depth, and the way he was larger than life.

But those who knew him will remember another side of David just as deeply: the boundless love he gave, his kindness, generosity, loyalty, and his loving, respectful, and empathetic nature.

David had a gift for bringing out the best in everyone. He pushed people to always be better than they thought they were capable of being. And as long as we live, his influence will continue to impact the way we live if we simply look up, talk to him, and ask him for his advice.

You can almost hear David answering:

“Control what you can control.”

“You will be fine.”

“Get after it.”

“I am so proud of you.”

“How can I help?”

David was a leader, a teacher, a fighter, and an example to those who dared to follow their dreams and work hard to achieve them. He had integrity. He was trustworthy, accountable, and loyal. David always knew who he was and who he wanted to be from the very start.

David the Fighter

David began his dream of becoming an MMA fighter in San Diego in 2017.

To his very core, David lived with perseverance, persistence, tenacity, resilience, strength, optimism and bravery. He pursued his passion with an unwavering commitment to become the best MMA fighter he could possibly be. David was never going to stop until this dream became a reality.

All his life, David was a versatile athlete. His ability to adapt his skills was a gift. He was athletically gifted and often referred to as a “Natural”. He excelled in every single sport he pursued.

But his greatest gift was not simply his natural ability. It was the grit, discipline, determination, and relentless work ethic he brought to everything he pursued.

David believed in working for what you wanted. He believed in pushing yourself beyond what you thought possible. And he lived that belief every day.

David as a Son

As a son, David was extraordinary.

He loved his mother with every fiber of his being. There was never a day that went by that he did not remind her how much he loved her and how lucky he felt to have her as his mother. He was her faithful anchor. More than a child, he was a steadfast pillar for our family. He honored his mother every single day by loving her.

In the last letter he wrote to her on her birthday, David wrote:

“Mother dearest, first of all happy birthday. You are my best friend and my biggest inspiration. You are my rock and my biggest supporter. I am very proud of you to call you mom. You work so hard and you’ve inspired Gaby and I to do the same. You are the glue that holds our family together. Others would be jealous of me because you’re my mom. You’re the best mom in the world. I love you so f’n much.”

Those words are a gift that his mother will carry with her for the rest of her life.

Gabriela will always be David’s mother not only because she was his mother for the 27 years he was here, but because that bond does not end with his death. Their relationship will continue to live within her, in every memory, every lesson, every laugh, and every conversation she continues to have with him in her heart.

David leaves behind his mother and step-father, big sister and brother-in-law, uncles and aunts, cousins, girlfriend, step-siblings, fighting community, students, and countless friends whose lives were profoundly influenced by him and his extraordinary qualities.

Although his life was far, far too short, the 27 years he was given were filled with love, dreams, moments, relationships, laughter, challenges, accomplishments, and wins on the mat and in the octagon. For those who knew him those memories will last forever.

His life cannot be measured only by the number of years he was here, but by the love he gave and the lives he touched and changed.

The unspeakable loss leaves us with no words adequate enough to express how profoundly David will be missed.

His heavy silence is present, and we all feel the catastrophic grief of his absence. But it is the family’s hope that each and every person who loved David will develop their own rituals whatever they may be that can be life-giving and healing while keeping his loving memory alive.

We will miss him every day.

But his death does not change the relationship we had with him. That relationship will be transformed, and he will always be with us.

We will miss David’s love, his advice, his laughter, his honesty, his grit, his encouragement, and his never-ending desire for us to “get after it.”

Above all else, we will miss his love.

Until we meet again, David.

We will continue to honor you by making a place for you in this world through the way we live our lives and by following the lessons you taught us.

You will forever be loved.

You will forever be remembered.

And you will forever be my son.

The family is requesting that, if you are planning to send flowers, you please choose ivory or white flowers. Thank you so much for honoring their wishes.