Gregory Francis Zavota

West Point, 2005

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Sean A Healy on November 12, 2007:

It's taken a while for me to try and collect my thoughts and memories about Greg. Aside from the shock, which still troubles me, I continue to find myself smiling whenever I think about Greg. Greg was a close friend, a talented individual (in all aspects) and most importantly for me, an incredibly fun person to be around. I met Greg shortly before entering the academy at a parent's club get together in Rhode Island. Little did we know during that first meeting that we would grow to be close friends through shared experiences, both good and bad throughout our time at the academy. West Point must have planned it all along, but I can only thank them for the opportunity they gave me to become so close to Greg. A 10 minute drive separates our parents homes in Rhode Island, and oddly enough, we found ourselves in the same beast squad in a class of well over 1000 upon our arrival at the academy. Our luck continued through plebe year, when we enjoyed and endured our year as Dukes in the same company. We got separated a little bit during the middle of the road, but we yet again found ourselves together to end it as roommates in our final semester while on brigade staff. Not forgetting to have a good time, we made sure to stay in touch after graduation and I'll make sure I always will. Greg, I can't say enough about you. You had a sure fire way of making everyone around you smile at the least, and bowl over laughing on average. You always brought me back to reality. You reminded me to stop and smell the roses when I got too caught up in school or work or some other stress. I had the best times and certainly the best stories (which I incessantly share with my friends and soldiers as the true benchmark for fun) from the times we were together. And I think the most amazing thing about all of that it is how incredibly successful you were at everything you did. I was always jealous of how physically gifted you were (you might prefer "jacked", so I'll say "jacked") and how quickly you understood engineering concepts that seemed 6 feet tall to my 5'7 frame. It was truly inspiring to be around you, not to mention fun. Greg, I'll never forget you having to spend extra time in beast learning how to "march" in north area with our squad leader. I'll never forget the way you helped me through beast. I'll never forget the personal issues we talked about even when it wasn't convenient to walk down the hall and see each other. Nor will I forget the trips we made back home, the dread we shared together whenever we went back to Hudson High, the times we spent having fun at home or with Noah at GW and the day we graduated together with that sense of accomplishment, relief, excitement and fear. You were with me every step of the way, and whenever i needed it, you were always there to put an arm around my shoulder because you could tell I needed it and not many others could. Greg, I truly love you like a brother and I thank you for all the positives you brought to my life. I'll never forget your smile, your energy and your friendship for as long as I live. To the Zavota family, I, like many others who have written before me, want to thank you for not only allowing me to enjoy the pleasure of being with your son, but also for the many times you took me in as one of your own. You invited me into your home on numerous occasions, brought me to and from the academy whenever you could and always managed to find a way to bring a smile to my face and a burger to my stomach. Your generosity was always greatly appreciated and I could always tell where Greg picked it up from. There's so many memories I have of Greg that I feel like I could write a book, but I think this is all I can muster right now. Your son was a great person who will always make me smile. If there's anything I can do to help you in this time of need, please don't hesitate to ask. Greg, I'll miss you, but talk to you often. Sean

admin