William David Cogburn of Lytle, age 16, born July 21, 2000, in Seguin, passed away Thursday, July 13, 2017. (Apparently we should have told him this part wasn’t a race, because he beat us all to heaven.)
William is preceded in death by his grandfather, Billy D. Cogburn; grandparents, Pansy W. Breiten and Edward R. Breiten; uncle, David Breiten; and aunt, Gail Breiten White.
He is survived by parents, Curtis and Sandra Cogburn; brothers, David and Brian Cogburn; grandmother, Bettie Cogburn; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. The amount of friends left behind is innumerable for us because to meet him was to become his friend.
From before birth, William had challenges thrown his way, but he wasn’t one to let obstacles deter him. His heart, while imperfect in a medical sense, was perfect in its ability to love others. He made friends easily. In his heart was a sincere love for sports. Despite the potential risks to his heart, he could not be slowed down. He had “ice in his veins” according to his coaches. He reveled in the challenges, the camaraderie with teammates and the competition.
William had a sense of humor and wit that he simply could not restrain. Even in the most serious situations, he could find some aspect that could be rolled into a comment that would draw laughs. He wasn’t afraid to be different, whether it was wearing bus-yellow running shoes and retro sunglasses, or acting like a clown on the sidelines to motivate his teammates. To be cast as the comic relief in plays was a given.
His heart was perfect in its desire to serve others. He volunteered with mission trips, vacation bible school, church plays, AugustHeart screenings and readily signed up to be an organ donor, saying “Why would anyone say “No”?” And thus, this imperfect heart full of love allowed other hearts to keep beating a while longer.
William lived a life showing 1 John, 4:7-12. As he is gone, it is now up to us to pick up the slack. So, volunteer to help the needy. Serve at the school concession stand. Make someone laugh so hard they can no longer find a reason to be mad. Be an active member in your church. Make friends with someone new. Be an organ donor. Be a light in the darkness.
Funeral service will be Tuesday, July 18, 2017, 10 a.m., at Lytle High School Auditorium. Interment will follow at Lytle Community Cemetery. Bearers are Michael Bradshaw, Josh Gamboa, Javier Garcia, Eli Garrison, Isaiah Gomez, Edson Hernandez, Kannon Hunter, Yancey Miller, Zachary Miller, Joshua Montes, Brandon Mora, Colton Randall, Justin Sekula, Adrian Soto, Carlos Tamayo, Chris Tomlinson, Paul Tomlinson, Steven Tomlinson, and Noah Vasquez.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the non-profit AugustHeart (see AugustHeart.org).