On New Year's Eve, Iraq War veteran Matthew DeRemer posted the following message to his Facebook page.
It reads in full:
The 31-year-old former Marine also commented on the post, outlining his goals for the New Year:
"My goal this year, while battling all obstacles, is to redefine my life by living as selfless as possible. Life "it isn't about me or my wants, its about all the people who need love in their lives that been lost over time." Lol this morning has been the most uplifting morning in a long time!"
Sadly, DeRemer was killed the next day when a car collided with his motorcycle in Largo, Florida. The driver has since been arrested on DUI and manslaughter charges.
DeRemer's poignant Facebook message has since been shared over 19,000 times on Facebook.
“He touched a lot of people’s lives,” his friend, Wayne Gutierrez told WTSP.
“Sometimes those are the ones that get chosen first.”