Rory Andrew McHugh

There are some people who are easy to describe, and then there's Rory … who was unmistakably himself.

He was outgoing and friendly, down to earth and authentic. He had an upbeat spirit and a natural charisma that drew people toward him. He was smart and strong, funny and inspiring. He was also learning to be comfortable in his own skin–he wrote about liking his personality, his height, his eyes, his humor, his tattoos, and his heart. Like a prism, his many qualities revealed the multifaceted and wonderful Rory we loved so much.

Rory’s young life was still unfolding, but a core desire of his heart was to follow Jesus and grow in his Christian faith. It gives us comfort to know that Rory singled out 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 in his journal:

"Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love."

Those words feel especially meaningful when we think about Rory, who wanted to be strong and brave and wanted to live out his faith more fully. And at the heart of those words is love—a beautiful reminder of the love Rory had for his family, his friends, and especially his daughter.

Rory enjoyed being outside. Snowboarding, fishing, and hiking gave him a chance to enjoy the Colorado places he called home. He loved gaming and had a playful side that often lit up when he was with friends and family. Some of our favorite memories of Rory are the simple ones—times spent together, laughing, talking, playing, or just enjoying one another.

Rory was homeschooled using the Classical Conversations curriculum and later attended Colorado Early Colleges. He worked at Small World Learning Center in Littleton and went on to complete a pre-apprenticeship program with The Master's Apprentice in Denver. That accomplishment led to Rory being hired by Loenbro Electrical Services, and he was very proud of that milestone. He was excited about the work ahead and the future it could help him build. But if we asked Rory what mattered most to him, he had already given us the answer in his journal: the highlight of his life was his daughter, Akadia.

Becoming a dad changed Rory, as Akadia became such a big part of his heart. Rory loved her deeply and was proud to be her father. Of all the things Rory could have held up as his life’s finest, he chose his daughter–and that is something we will hold onto forever.

Some of Rory's most memorable moments were beautifully simple: the birth of Akadia, seeing a smile on the face of his best friend Gage, and taking his first deer while hunting with his dad. He treasured family. He valued friendship. He enjoyed adventure. And he loved sharing life’s experiences with the people he cared about.

Rory is survived by his father, Kevin McHugh; his mother, Grace McHugh; his sister, Emily McHugh; his brother, Colum McHugh; and his beloved daughter, Akadia McHugh.

We wish we had more time … more conversations, more laughs, more family memories, and more opportunities to watch Rory grow into the man he was becoming. And most of all, we wish Rory had more time to be Akadia’s dad.

One of the hardest things about losing Rory at such a young age is that there was so much ahead of him. A new chapter of life was taking shape. His faith was deepening. His daughter was growing. There were still so many memories to make. Even so, we are profoundly grateful for Rory’s 23 years. We are grateful for his smile, his humor, his confidence, his tender heart, and his fun personality. We are grateful for the countless times he made us laugh. We are grateful for the memories that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. We are grateful that Rory knew he was loved by God–and that he also knew how much he was loved by his family and friends.

The biblical encouragement that Rory valued will stay with us: "...Be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love." Rory was a young man who was growing in his faith, excited about his future, and proud of his daughter–and we can imagine him continuing to teach us with those words: Be brave. Be strong. And above all, love.

His life was short, but his presence mattered. His love mattered. And the mark he left on the people who knew him will remain. We will miss so many things that made Rory unique and so special to us. But most of all, we will miss simply having him here.

We love you, Rory. You will always be our son, our brother, our friend, and Akadia's dad. You will always be part of our family. And you will never, ever be forgotten.

Rory’s celebration of life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 18, at Calvary Castle Rock, 1480 Canyon Drive, Castle Rock, CO 80104.

In lieu of gifts or flowers, we hope you’ll consider honoring Rory’s life by giving to the life-changing work happening at U-Turn for Christ Colorado. Donations are welcome at https://www.uturncs.com/donate