About Travis
In Travis' own words
I’m a simple man really. Smart, successful smashing good looks, a real
suitor. I love nature, helping the homeless, and cooking with my grandmother
just to create memories.
Do I work out you ask? Well I’d like to be modest, but can you say
triathlete, and if you can’t say that well simply say 16 1/2 inch biceps. If I
look familiar you are probably an avid reader of GQ or Men's Health.
Any way I enjoy going to Church, teaching Foreign Children English, and
gourmet cooking. You might say to yourself yes but what are Travis’ Talents.
Well if I must answer, Poetry, playing the Spanish Guitar (or what I like to
call the strings of Love) and understanding more than just peoples voices, but
understanding peoples hearts. At least that’s what Maya Angelou said at the
awards ceremony when I was nominated for my first Nobel Peace prize.
If you’d like to know more. Don’t be shy, go ahead and drop Travis a line.
Unless of course a common phrase you use is “Thanks for the add” in that case,
you are wasting your life on MySpace, you should probably go do something more
productive like read a book, or build an ant farm. Ciao
Music
Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, Pete Yorn, OutKast, Saves The Day,
The Huxtables, Wedgekase, The Siren Six, The Adventures of Jet, The Huntington's,
The Ramones, Darlington, The Young Hasselhoffs, Me first and the give me give
me’s, Aqua Bats, The Hippos, Unsteady, Jem, Jurassic 5, Swollen Members, The
Smiths and Morrissey
Movies
The Secret, Zoolander, Dumb and Dumber, Life Aquatic, The
Royal Tennnbaums, Ferris Buellers day off, and most old Movies
Television
TV is for the weak. But if you have Tivo Lost, and The
Office.
Books
Think and Grow Rich, How to Win Friends and Influence
People, Slight Edge, Richest Man in Babylon, You were Born Rich, The Greatest
Salesman in the World, Atlas Shrugged.
Heroes
Gordon Hinckley, Harland Stonecipher, Killer Kane, Jeff
Olsen, Travis Alexander, Darnell Self, and Adam (for getting this party
started)
About Travis Alexander (adapted from his eulogy given by Deanna
Reid)
Travis Victor Alexander was born on July 28, 1977 to Gary and Pamela
Alexander in Riverside, CA. He had two older brothers, Gary and Greg, and
was followed by three sisters, Tanisha, Samantha, Hillary, one more brother,
Steven, and then another sister, Allie. This is an excerpt from Travis’s
blog, recalling when he was a small child he says:
During this time I can think of two fond memories of my childhood. The first
is Sesame Street. My Sisters and I watched it everyday and it took our minds to
where kids were happy and learning.
The other was visiting the home of my Great-Grandfather Vic. He would grab me
by my shoulders and shake me. Then he would follow with these words, these words
that alter every aspect of my life, “Travis, you need to know that you are
special, that there is not anything that you can’t do. There is something great
inside you. You’re special Travis, don’t you ever forget it.” That was quickly
followed by a rigid hug that would squeeze the breath out of me.
I remember the day I came to the conclusion there was a God. I was 6. I
screamed as loud as I could all day long to God, for my near by grandmother to
get me and take me for the weekend. Sure enough that evening she came and picked
me up.
Travis moved in with his grandparents Jim & Norma Sarvey when he was 11
years old. Things were rough at home with his parents, so one day he
walked over to his Grandmother’s house and said to her, “I’m going to live with
you now.” Travis used to quote Abraham Lincoln when referring to his
grandmother changing the quote slightly by saying, “All I am, or can be, I owe
to my angel (grand) mother”.
It may be a surprise to some people that when Travis first started high
school, he was very shy. He went to Rubidoux High, and most of the time,
would eat lunch in the library all by himself. He considered himself to be
an introvert, but started to break out of his shell after he became active in
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints when he was 16 years old.
He was on the wrestling team, and loved to practice his wrestling moves on
his sisters. He would also flex his muscles whenever an opportunity
presented itself… or even when it didn’t!
After high school, he worked to save money to serve a mission for his
church. He was called to serve in the Denver, Colorado South mission from
1996 to 1998. Travis returned with honor from his mission and began
attending a church in Riverside for singles. He loved to be social and
date and made special efforts to be friends with everyone. He also
continued to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ by striving to find those that
were searching for something more, so that he could share his knowledge of the
gospel with them.
Doing his family’s genealogy was very important to him. He would get
excited when he would find members of his family and link his family tree
together. This was a passion of his, and brought him great joy.
He worked many different jobs in search for a career. None of them
seemed to be working out, so he prayed that he would find something. The
next day he had a feeling he should go up to Chris Hughes, at church, and ask
him what he did for a living. Meanwhile, Chris had been praying for
someone that could be a leader in his developing business with Pre-paid Legal
Services—someone with the same vision he had. Sure enough, Travis became
an associate with Pre-Paid Legal and worked and thrived in this business
opportunity. Travis quickly became a superstar in this company. He
was a popular trainer across the US.
In 2004, Travis packed his bags and moved to Mesa, AZ where he purchased his
home on Queensborough Avenue. He loved to decorate and make
improvements—so much that he bought Martha Stewart and Feng Shui books to help
him achieve his vision. He would often call his brothers, Gary and Greg,
for advice on how to fix things—such as wiring in a ceiling fan. He had a
specific goal on how he wanted to decorate the house, and he truly made it
happen, from colors he was going to paint the walls, to the theater room he
wanted for UFC parties. He was proud of his closet and took special
measures to have it organized. It was important for him to be in style and
looking good.
Goal setting was a big part of Travis’ every day life. Every morning he
got up and pulled out a 3 by 5 card. He would write a list of everything
that he wanted to accomplish that day, and then go through and check it off as
the day progressed. He would always put things like read my scriptures,
write in journal, random act of kindness, walk 2 miles, and read 30 min. of a
good book.
In 2005, Travis adopted Napoleon, a black pug. Travis loved this dog
like he would a child. He would teach him all kinds of tricks and take him
along on road trips. Traveling was important to Travis. Among the many
personal development and spiritual books he had in his impressive library, he
had a book called 1000 Places To See Before You Die and was working towards that
goal.
Some would say that Travis was a walking musical. He would hear
something that would remind him of a song, and would immediately break into
song. It didn’t matter if he was with a few friends in his home or theirs,
or in a public place. He would often leave singing voicemails. Travis
loved to entertain and make people smile. Travis had a contagious laugh.
We called it his “hyena laugh.” He would lose complete control, and his
laugh would get louder and crazier. He loved the French Fries at Red
Robin. Often when putting his name on the list at a restaurant, after the
hostess told him how long the wait was, he would pull up the sleeve of his shirt
exposing his bicep, flex, and ask, “How ‘bout now?” If the hostess was
quick on her feet, and responded, “Still 20 minutes.” He would hike up
both sleeves, flash her a double flex, and ask, “And now?” He would have
everyone in the waiting area laughing. Travis wasn’t just funny, he was
very deep, and an amazing friend to so many people.
Travis loved training fellow PPL associates on developing leadership skills,
commitment, and personal development. One of his favorite mantras was, “The
greatest leader is the greatest servant.” He was always looking for ways
to serve and help people. From helping others completely change their lives for
the better, to more simple things like collect the trash from the bins
throughout the church building and take them out every Sunday. Whenever a
volunteer was needed, or something needed to get done, Travis was the first to
raise his hand. One of the scriptures he quoted most comes from Isaiah 6:8
when the Lord says, “Here am I, send me.”
Near the end of his life he was writing a book and titled it Raising
You. This was his attempt to inspire and help even more people to become
the best person they could be no matter who they were, or where they came
from. In his introduction to the book he writes:
I pray that you will allow the words you read to stare deep into your eyes,
and instill into you that there isn’t anything that you cannot do. My desire is
that this book will do for you what Grandpa Vic did for me. Help me believe what
is already true. That you are special.
Like Travis, we know that we are children of a Heavenly Father who lives and
loves us. We each have divine potential, and it is our duty to recognize and
develop our potential. It is through our Savior Jesus Christ that we might gain
eternal life and exaltation. This was Travis’ passion and his message.
In Travis' own words
I’m a simple man really. Smart, successful smashing good looks, a real
suitor. I love nature, helping the homeless, and cooking with my grandmother
just to create memories.
Do I work out you ask? Well I’d like to be modest, but can you say
triathlete, and if you can’t say that well simply say 16 1/2 inch biceps. If I
look familiar you are probably an avid reader of GQ or Men's Health.
Any way I enjoy going to Church, teaching Foreign Children English, and
gourmet cooking. You might say to yourself yes but what are Travis’ Talents.
Well if I must answer, Poetry, playing the Spanish Guitar (or what I like to
call the strings of Love) and understanding more than just peoples voices, but
understanding peoples hearts. At least that’s what Maya Angelou said at the
awards ceremony when I was nominated for my first Nobel Peace prize.
If you’d like to know more. Don’t be shy, go ahead and drop Travis a line.
Unless of course a common phrase you use is “Thanks for the add” in that case,
you are wasting your life on MySpace, you should probably go do something more
productive like read a book, or build an ant farm. Ciao
Music
Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, Pete Yorn, OutKast, Saves The Day,
The Huxtables, Wedgekase, The Siren Six, The Adventures of Jet, The Huntington's,
The Ramones, Darlington, The Young Hasselhoffs, Me first and the give me give
me’s, Aqua Bats, The Hippos, Unsteady, Jem, Jurassic 5, Swollen Members, The
Smiths and Morrissey
Movies
The Secret, Zoolander, Dumb and Dumber, Life Aquatic, The
Royal Tennnbaums, Ferris Buellers day off, and most old Movies
Television
TV is for the weak. But if you have Tivo Lost, and The
Office.
Books
Think and Grow Rich, How to Win Friends and Influence
People, Slight Edge, Richest Man in Babylon, You were Born Rich, The Greatest
Salesman in the World, Atlas Shrugged.
Heroes
Gordon Hinckley, Harland Stonecipher, Killer Kane, Jeff
Olsen, Travis Alexander, Darnell Self, and Adam (for getting this party
started)
About Travis Alexander (adapted from his eulogy given by Deanna
Reid)
Travis Victor Alexander was born on July 28, 1977 to Gary and Pamela
Alexander in Riverside, CA. He had two older brothers, Gary and Greg, and
was followed by three sisters, Tanisha, Samantha, Hillary, one more brother,
Steven, and then another sister, Allie. This is an excerpt from Travis’s
blog, recalling when he was a small child he says:
During this time I can think of two fond memories of my childhood. The first
is Sesame Street. My Sisters and I watched it everyday and it took our minds to
where kids were happy and learning.
The other was visiting the home of my Great-Grandfather Vic. He would grab me
by my shoulders and shake me. Then he would follow with these words, these words
that alter every aspect of my life, “Travis, you need to know that you are
special, that there is not anything that you can’t do. There is something great
inside you. You’re special Travis, don’t you ever forget it.” That was quickly
followed by a rigid hug that would squeeze the breath out of me.
I remember the day I came to the conclusion there was a God. I was 6. I
screamed as loud as I could all day long to God, for my near by grandmother to
get me and take me for the weekend. Sure enough that evening she came and picked
me up.
Travis moved in with his grandparents Jim & Norma Sarvey when he was 11
years old. Things were rough at home with his parents, so one day he
walked over to his Grandmother’s house and said to her, “I’m going to live with
you now.” Travis used to quote Abraham Lincoln when referring to his
grandmother changing the quote slightly by saying, “All I am, or can be, I owe
to my angel (grand) mother”.
It may be a surprise to some people that when Travis first started high
school, he was very shy. He went to Rubidoux High, and most of the time,
would eat lunch in the library all by himself. He considered himself to be
an introvert, but started to break out of his shell after he became active in
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints when he was 16 years old.
He was on the wrestling team, and loved to practice his wrestling moves on
his sisters. He would also flex his muscles whenever an opportunity
presented itself… or even when it didn’t!
After high school, he worked to save money to serve a mission for his
church. He was called to serve in the Denver, Colorado South mission from
1996 to 1998. Travis returned with honor from his mission and began
attending a church in Riverside for singles. He loved to be social and
date and made special efforts to be friends with everyone. He also
continued to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ by striving to find those that
were searching for something more, so that he could share his knowledge of the
gospel with them.
Doing his family’s genealogy was very important to him. He would get
excited when he would find members of his family and link his family tree
together. This was a passion of his, and brought him great joy.
He worked many different jobs in search for a career. None of them
seemed to be working out, so he prayed that he would find something. The
next day he had a feeling he should go up to Chris Hughes, at church, and ask
him what he did for a living. Meanwhile, Chris had been praying for
someone that could be a leader in his developing business with Pre-paid Legal
Services—someone with the same vision he had. Sure enough, Travis became
an associate with Pre-Paid Legal and worked and thrived in this business
opportunity. Travis quickly became a superstar in this company. He
was a popular trainer across the US.
In 2004, Travis packed his bags and moved to Mesa, AZ where he purchased his
home on Queensborough Avenue. He loved to decorate and make
improvements—so much that he bought Martha Stewart and Feng Shui books to help
him achieve his vision. He would often call his brothers, Gary and Greg,
for advice on how to fix things—such as wiring in a ceiling fan. He had a
specific goal on how he wanted to decorate the house, and he truly made it
happen, from colors he was going to paint the walls, to the theater room he
wanted for UFC parties. He was proud of his closet and took special
measures to have it organized. It was important for him to be in style and
looking good.
Goal setting was a big part of Travis’ every day life. Every morning he
got up and pulled out a 3 by 5 card. He would write a list of everything
that he wanted to accomplish that day, and then go through and check it off as
the day progressed. He would always put things like read my scriptures,
write in journal, random act of kindness, walk 2 miles, and read 30 min. of a
good book.
In 2005, Travis adopted Napoleon, a black pug. Travis loved this dog
like he would a child. He would teach him all kinds of tricks and take him
along on road trips. Traveling was important to Travis. Among the many
personal development and spiritual books he had in his impressive library, he
had a book called 1000 Places To See Before You Die and was working towards that
goal.
Some would say that Travis was a walking musical. He would hear
something that would remind him of a song, and would immediately break into
song. It didn’t matter if he was with a few friends in his home or theirs,
or in a public place. He would often leave singing voicemails. Travis
loved to entertain and make people smile. Travis had a contagious laugh.
We called it his “hyena laugh.” He would lose complete control, and his
laugh would get louder and crazier. He loved the French Fries at Red
Robin. Often when putting his name on the list at a restaurant, after the
hostess told him how long the wait was, he would pull up the sleeve of his shirt
exposing his bicep, flex, and ask, “How ‘bout now?” If the hostess was
quick on her feet, and responded, “Still 20 minutes.” He would hike up
both sleeves, flash her a double flex, and ask, “And now?” He would have
everyone in the waiting area laughing. Travis wasn’t just funny, he was
very deep, and an amazing friend to so many people.
Travis loved training fellow PPL associates on developing leadership skills,
commitment, and personal development. One of his favorite mantras was, “The
greatest leader is the greatest servant.” He was always looking for ways
to serve and help people. From helping others completely change their lives for
the better, to more simple things like collect the trash from the bins
throughout the church building and take them out every Sunday. Whenever a
volunteer was needed, or something needed to get done, Travis was the first to
raise his hand. One of the scriptures he quoted most comes from Isaiah 6:8
when the Lord says, “Here am I, send me.”
Near the end of his life he was writing a book and titled it Raising
You. This was his attempt to inspire and help even more people to become
the best person they could be no matter who they were, or where they came
from. In his introduction to the book he writes:
I pray that you will allow the words you read to stare deep into your eyes,
and instill into you that there isn’t anything that you cannot do. My desire is
that this book will do for you what Grandpa Vic did for me. Help me believe what
is already true. That you are special.
Like Travis, we know that we are children of a Heavenly Father who lives and
loves us. We each have divine potential, and it is our duty to recognize and
develop our potential. It is through our Savior Jesus Christ that we might gain
eternal life and exaltation. This was Travis’ passion and his message.