The Cayer family is saddened beyond words to announce the passing of Moe Cayer. At 62, he left us all much too soon on March 31, 2021. We take heart in knowing he has joined his Mother, Father, older brother Raymond, and beloved Uncle Vic, and that they get to handle him for a while now.

Moe's presence in the lives of those who knew him was like an irrepressible light that was always shining. And that's great…until you want to turn the darn light off and get some sleep. Whether at home, ball games, tail gates, or even the workplace, Moe was ready with a quick wit, delivering insults and compliments until you couldn't tell the difference, and really, there was no difference. Everyone was a friend, everyone was a brother, and therefore everyone was at the mercy of Moe's love-colored brand of humor. And though it could be overwhelming to be the center of his attention, the subject of his roasts, or the person he was writing about in a Facebook post – everyone loved him for it.

He was Jacqui Cayer McDonald's baby brother, and her charge for most of his childhood. Not that it mattered. He didn't listen to his big sister, much to her ongoing annoyance. Although she was in charge, he never let her forget that they were siblings, and they fought and loved like siblings do as children. But they were always there for each other…each one helping the other out of tough spots every now and then as the years went by, and their sibling bond only grew stronger. As adults, Moe delighted in making Jacqui shake her head at him (though she always laughed, too). When Jacqui married Grant McDonald, it didn't take long for them to not only be brothers-in-law, but also become best friends, and it wasn't long after that that Moe realized Grant might land him in jail. "Your husband is going to get me arrested some day, you know," he warned his sister. Moe and Grant even worked at the casino together, and Moe was constantly worried that Grant would get one, or both of them, fired. That didn't happen, though. Getting the two guys together guaranteed a good time. A loud, late, raucous good time…the best kind, as far as they were concerned.

As a young man, Moe fell in love with Robin, and made a fool of himself in the process. She was out of his league, and he looked like a pipecleaner with eyes topped by an unruly mop of curly hair. But he was athletic and smart and that wit that everyone loved (or tolerated) must've been charming in some kind of way, and Robin was won over. If you ask her, she'll admit she still isn't quite sure how. Moe and Robin had two beautiful children – Jonathan (Jonezy) who shares his father's athleticism, and Alyson who matches her father easily in the sport of insult. Moe loved his kids beyond description, and that love transmuted to deep, abiding friendships as the kids became adults. How many adult children can say that they have the best time tail-gating with their father? How many kids could catch and throw such insulting comments with their dad just to see who could out-do who in their audaciousness? Not many. Jonezy and Aly could, because Moe was an awesome dad.

While Jonezy and Aly were Moe's only actual children, he was a coach to hundreds of kids in the Khoury Little League for many years. He watched many of his Little Leaguers grow from 6 year olds to young men, and they grew to love and respect Moe as he helped them develop their skills and lead them to championship titles. Coaching was a big part of Moe's life for a long time, and the pride he felt at watching his young charges learn and grow and get better and better each year was palpable. He loved the game, and more than that, he loved the confidence and character he used the game to build. Moe was as much a coach as he was anything else in his life, and all the kids on his teams over the years were better for it.

And as awesome a dad as he was, Moe was an outstanding grandfather. He was incredibly proud of Jonezy's and Sarah's children. The newest members of the Cayer family, Mia, Madison, LJ, and Devyn were the stars of his life when they came along. Games, school pick-ups, sports, outings, fishing, play-fighting, rough housing, and cuddling – Moe was there for all of it, with complete enthusiasm and abandon. He embraced being a grandfather so completely, his grandkids were an inextricable part of his life. He wove them into his day as easily as stopping for gas on the ride home. If you talked to Moe long enough, conversation inevitably rolled around to something amazing one of them had done recently. He cherished the time he got to spend with them, and the memories they have of him (conscious or subconscious) will be of being held so tenderly in huge hands as they were welcomed into the world, gently bounced on a shoulder, taught to hit a ball, and how to cast a line.

So many family members knew Moe as not just family, but as a best friend, and that was certainly true for Robin's sister Patty, and her husband David, Ouellette. Their bond with Moe was completely unaffected by the physical distance between them, and the two families shared some awesome vacation time together – sometimes of the Disney variety, and sometimes not. Family vacations were marked by laughter and teasing and soaking rainstorms and rides, rowdy restaurant dinners, and hot days all held together by Patty's impeccable (nearly Moe-proof) planning. And the best times of all were the unscripted ones, just being together – each visit just picking up where they left off. Time and distance never changed a thing.

When Moe's family was extended by adding the Italian branch, courtesy of his son's beautiful wife, Sarah, he had a whole new group of excellent candidates for his comedic teasing, and he relished all of it. Each new relative was a whole new challenge to find the right buttons that would result in a smile, a laugh, a scoff – and sometimes even physical retaliation in the form of a well-deserved swat. Because it was impossible not to, he was loved by the Paolino family as much as he loved them, and Sarah's own awesome father Ronnie is surely back to hanging out with Moe just as they did here.

Before Moe was a husband, father, or grandfather, he was an uncle, and there are several nieces in the family. His brother Raymond and his wife Judy Cayer had Alexandra Cayer Foster and Stephanie Cayer. His sister-in-law Patty and her husband David had Ashley Ouellette Hodges, Brittney Ouellette, and Sarah Ouellette. He enjoyed good relationships with all of them, despite a distinct lack of sports interest on their part. Uncle Moe was enough of a kid to be friends of all of the kids – even though they were all girls.

However, circumstances of life created a special relationship between Moe and his sister Jacqui's kids (Elizabeth, Matthew, and Rebecca). For a while, when her kids and his kids were growing up, the two families lived together, and Moe was more than just an uncle. He was an example of what a father could be, he was a friend, he was a fiercely loyal protector, and he kept them in line (when he wasn't in cahoots). As with his own children, Moe let his relationship with his sister's kids grow and change as they did, and as adults hanging out together was something the whole family looked forward to, cherished, made happen as much as possible, and missed so much when it wasn't. He filled a lot of roles for Elizabeth, Matthew, and Rebecca – comic relief expert, sounding board, coach, and father-figure, just to name a few – and they will forever hold their memories of each in their hearts.

Aside from the family man Moe was, he has a few more notables to his name that shouldn't be forgotten:

• He coined the term "idiot blood".
• He fostered the family salute into being.
• He is the only person I can think of who managed to set a kitchen on fire while flooding it at the same time.
• He could make you pee your pants laughing at his story about the difference between "bats" and "bass".
• He could make you pee your pants just by laughing hard enough to pee his own pants, even if you couldn't understand a word he was trying to say.

And finally, perhaps most poignantly, there is no one whose day wasn't improved by having him a part of it. (Except for the guy Moe thought stole his jacket. That guy wouldn't agree, even though Moe apologized.)

While we will all struggle with this heart-wrenching loss, we know that Moe is waiting to laugh with us at the antics that we get up to in the rest of our lives to come, and we'll do that at a family gathering again.