Ronald Stiles III would have been ecstatic to see his Orlando Magic finally make it to the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.
But his dad will cheer on the team for him, remembering the team spirit he shared with his son, a UF senior who died April 30 in a surfing accident at Crescent Beach, Fla., Ronald Stiles Jr., Ronald's dad, said his son went with three of his friends to relax after final exams.
"The sheer number of people who showed up and spoke to us at his funeral was a partial testimony of the impression he left on people," Stiles said.
Before attending UF, Ronald earned his associate degree from Valencia Community College in Orlando.
"He had taken five classes in the spring, which was something he had never done," Stiles said.
Stiles said he was proud of his son for earning a 3.0 GPA while working at the O'Connell Center and in the kitchen at Café Gardens.
Stiles said he had never seen his son happier than the last time the two were together.
"He loved living in Gainesville," he said, adding that his son was excited to start his new internship, where he would have coordinated sports events.
Ronald, who was a recreation and sports major, loved sports since he was a kid and played basketball for the YMCA despite his father's effort to turn him into a baseball player.
However, when he saw his son's talent, Stiles wasn't upset for long.
"I couldn't believe how good he was at his age," he said. "When I sat in the stands, I was so proud and happy."
Ronald's love for basketball didn't end with his childhood basketball teams. He was also an Orlando Magic fan and watched the team, win or lose, from its first season.
"Those were always good times in our house because it was family time," Stiles said. "We'd sit around the TV with a bowl of popcorn, and it was a great thing for us to do."
When he was about 12, Ronald spent a short stint as a professional wrestling fan. Stiles said Ronald and his friends would practice moves on each other.
"We went through three or four bed frames during that time," he said.
Ronald also loved music, listening to artists ranging from Huey Lewis to ZZ Top. He even made plans to take his grandmother to Graceland to see Elvis' estate.
"Not because he had to, but because that was just the kind of person he was," Stiles said.
