Friends remember Brian Bluhm's big smile as well as his unique and infectious laugh. "He had a very characteristic laugh, everyone knew it," said Ricky Castles, good friend of Bluhm and PhD student in computer engineering. "You could pick it out in a room of 100 people. It was just the joy he had."
Recent stories about the civil engineering graduate student never fail to mention his devotion to his faith and the Detroit Tigers. He was passionate about sports, and he was never without the navy blue baseball cap with the old English 'D' on the front for the Tigers, the faded color of the cap a testament to how much he wore it.
Angela Jones, Bluhm's older sister, remembers the last time their family was together. Angela, her husband Justin, Brian, and their parents Dennis and Beverly had gotten together the Wednesday before the incident to watch the Tigers and Orioles play in Baltimore.
"That was the last time all five of us were together," said Jones. "And it was the first time we'd seen a grand slam in person. We were all excited."
Bluhm was also active in and very dedicated to the church and inspired many of his fellow Christians.
"Brian was a Christian, and first and foremost that's what he would want to be remembered as," said Michael Marshall, close friend of Bluhm, to the Associated Baptist Press.
However, sports and his faith were not his only passions. Many who knew Bluhm revealed that he loved his family and friends very much.
"Brian was a great brother," said Jones. "I wouldn't have traded him. He was someone I could call and talk to …I not only lost a brother but a friend."
Brian was also known for his compassion and ability to reach out to friends.
"Brian knew I was going through something one time," said Castles. "He put his arm around my shoulders and asked, 'Hey, man, you all right?' And he looked at me just waiting for an answer because he really wanted to know how I felt."
Dan Cecchini, Bluhm's good friend and senior finance major, recounted a similar memory.
"You just knew he had your back because his caring was so genuine," he said. "He made a conscious choice to be a friend you could always count on."
Justin Jones, Bluhm's brother-in-law, said Bluhm was the first family member he met when he first started dating Angela Jones. Justin Jones had been nervous because he'd heard that Bluhm was a good reader of character. He sat down and watched the Detroit Redwings hockey game with Bluhm, however, and soon became comfortable.
"He's someone that when you sit down, get to know him, and talk with him, he'd give you the shirt off his back," Justin Jones said. "At the end of the day he's one of those guys you love to be around and hang out with. He's one of the best guys I've ever met and I feel honored to have known him."
Castles lived down the hall from Bluhm and remembered a time when he'd been sitting in his room and a knock sounded on his door. He got up, and when he looked out into the hallway, found no one. However, at the end of the hall was Bluhm looking back with his big grin.
"It was his way of saying, 'Hi, I was thinking of you,'" Castles said. "Brian took the time for every one of his friends no matter if he had something to do."
Bluhm also cared for his students. He taught the freshman engineering course for three semesters and was a teaching assistant. "Just from talking to his students and knowing him as a T.A., I know he took the time and genuinely cared for his students and all the past students he had," said Castles.
Peebles Squire, sophomore political science major, had Bluhm as a T.A. "Brian was a great guy, exceptionally tolerant, worked very hard to make sure everyone in the class was on the same page, and he always put up with my smarta-- comments in his class," he said.
"(Brian) could hardly go anywhere on campus without being greeted by one of his students," said Cecchini. "He took interest in them all. He always sought to be a servant heart, and that is an enduring inspiration for me and many others."
"We miss Brian dearly," said Angela Jones, "but we know he's in a better place now."
Castles said Bluhm was an optimist when it came to sports. When a baseball team is down, the fans often turn their baseball caps inside out to show support and make them rally hats. Bluhm always used to do this to his cap for Tech sports teams, the intramural teams he coached, and for the Detroit Tigers.
"I can see Brian up in heaven with his hat inside out on the top of his head," said Castles. "He knows Tech is down right now, but he also knows we're going to rally, pull together, and come back stronger."
