Logan and Chad

Hearing of Logan and Chad's deaths was particularly heartbreaking.  I was driving to my fiance's house on Sunday to head to church after and he called me and told me the news.  From the horrible story he told me, I didn't believe him at first.  But after some research, I learned the terrifying story was true.  Logan, Chad, and Derek had gone out duck hunting Saturday on the Great Salt Lake.  A storm came in and their boat capsized.  They did not have life jackets on and the water was freezing.  Derek decided to swim back a ways to get some help, and Logan and Chad decided to stay and wait for help.  When they came back to find them, it was too late.

I met Chad and Logan on the same day.  I was at my best friend's house and we planned on hanging out with them for the first time after Logan and I had spent a lot of time talking.  That first day hanging out with them was a complete riot.  Logan had gotten his wisdom teeth out that morning and was a little loopy from the pain medication.  We went to cold stone and Logan ordered banana.  Just banana.  Gross.  It became a long standing joke in our relationship.  Logan and I ended up dating for about a year before he left on his mission.  We were close.  He told me he loved me.  He also said I was the first girl he had ever told that to.  I don't know if that's true, but it made it more special to me.  I had so much fun with Logan.  He treated me so well.  He fell quickly and I think that scared me a little bit, I was very young and wasn't sure what I wanted.  Logan was so good about writing me during his mission.  He sent many letters, and even more pictures.  I on the other hand, was not as good about writing him.  I was only 16 when he left and just getting into high school.  When he came home, I was dating someone else and felt differently.  But that didn't change how highly I thought of him and how special I felt our friendship was.  We continued to talk for a little while until he became serious with his now wife.  We both moved on and really lost touch with each other once he had gotten married and I become serious with someone else.  From what I heard from Chad, Logan had an amazing life with his wife and his two children.  He was happy and had such a bright future ahead of him.  Hearing that he had passed, especially in such a terrible way, was so heartbreaking.  I know that if anything were to happen to my fiance, I would be a complete mess and don't know how I would get through it.  I feel so hurt for Tasha and her kids and can't imagine the pain she feels especially.  She is in my prayers every moment of my day.

Logan Deloy Hardman 

1987 ~ 2012

On November 17, 2012 our precious Logan returned home to his Heavenly Father while doing something he loved, duck hunting with Chad and his friends. Born on March 17, 1987 in West Valley City, UT, to Kevin Deloy and Stephanie Lynn Hilton Hardman. Logan served a two year faithful LDS mission in Knoxville, Tennessee. He had a personal love for his savior which helped him to love and serve those around him. He will continue serving the lord, knowing deep In his heart that his family would be okay and one day be reunited. His calm, easy going personality and contagious smile captured the heart of the love of his life, Natasha Nuttall Hardman. They married in the Salt Lake Temple on March 25, 2010 for time and all eternity. Fatherhood became his greatest joy, loving his Brynnlee & Brody. He loved outdoors, hunting, football and spending time with friends and family. Survived by his wife, Natasha; children Brynnlee 4, Brody 11 months; parents Kevin and Stephanie Hardman; in-laws Bryan and Hollie Nuttall; brothers Andy (Samie) Hardman, Matt (Michelle) Hardman , Tyrel (Natalie) Hardman; Nathan (Kristin) Nuttall, Nicholas (Trista) Nuttall, Korbin Nuttall, Kyler Nuttall. This will be a short time of loneliness but we know we'll share an eternity together.
We would like to thank everyone for the donations, prayers, love and support, but especially the search and rescue working so hard to bring our boys home.
Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, November 24, 2012 at the Sunset Ridge 1st Ward, 8107 S. 6700 W., where a viewing will be held both Friday 6-8 p.m. and Saturday 10-10:45 a.m. prior to services. Interment: Valley View Memorial Park. Online condolences: www.peelfuneralhome.com
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Zions Bank in Logan's name.

Now Chad.  Chad is such a sweetheart.  He and I weren't terribly close while Logan was home.  All I really remember from that time period is his super cute bleached blonde tips of his dark hair.  He always made you laugh and was such a positive person.  Once Logan left on his mission, Chad and I started talking a lot more.  We kept each other informed of our dating lives, work lives, school lives, everything.  I complained to him about everything that bothered me in life and he had advice for it all.  I remember going to lunch many times and being persuaded to set him up with many of my cute friends.  Because of Chad, I met by amazing fiance now.  Cody grew up with Chad since he was a little kid.  They went to school together and did a lot together.  Chad is such a precious person to me and there's a lot in my life that would not be the same had Chad not been in my life.  I saw his family on Sunday, the day I found out about his death.  His house was filled with people that love him that were mourning over his death.  It's obvious that many, many people loved Chad as much if not much more than I did.

Chad Masanori Tohinaka

1987 ~ 2012
Our loving son, brother, grandson, and dear friend, Chad , 25, passed away Saturday, November 17, 2012 in an accident on the Great Salt Lake along with his best friend and brother Logan. Chad was born on September 15, 1987 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Mike & Karen Tohinaka. He graduated from Olympus High and Westminster College and was currently working as a portfolio manager at National Capital Investment Company. Chad strived to be the best in all he did and he lived life to its fullest. He went skydiving with friends, loved extreme roller coasters with his sister and dad, the bigger the better. He loved hunting with Logan & friends for ducks and other game. He was an avid ghost hunter and spent many nights investigating haunted locations with his Paranormal Investigations Team of Utah buddies, although he never "caught" one.
Chad is survived by his parents, Mike & Karen, sister, Kelsi, grandmothers Sachiko Tohinaka and Mitsue Sugimoto and many aunts, uncles, and cousins. We want to thank all the family, friends and members of the community for their generosity and outpouring of love and support for our son Chad and "our other son", Logan.
Most of all, a special thank you to everyone involved in the search and rescue operation that night for finding our boys and bringing them home. It brings us peace to know that Chad and Logan were together in life and now in death. Brothers forever. Our lives and hearts are so much richer because of them both.
Funeral services will be held on December 2, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. at the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple, 211 W. 100 So., Salt Lake City, Utah. Friends may visit from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Funeral directors, Neil O'Donnell and Sons. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Chad's memory to the Logan Hardman fund at Zions Bank.

It's hard to believe that Logan and Chad are gone.  It doesn't feel real, and it consumes a lot of my thoughts.  Although I didn't spend time with either of them much in the last few years, there was a time in my life where I spent all of my time with these two men.  Any spare moment I had was spent being escorted around Magna in Logan's pear scented car being shown the "crazy man's cardboard house" that they loved to tease me about.  We never sat in the house watching movies, these guys were busy bodies!  Always out doing something.  They are both such incredible people.  Their funerals will be very difficult to take in.  Their families have a long road ahead of dealing with their losses.  But with Heavenly Father's help, I know they will be okay.  I know I will be okay.  And I know we will all see them both again some day.

Logan made me listen to this song every single time we got in the car.  I complained for a little while, but let's just say I adopted the song soon after.  Who couldn't love this song, right?

Fishin' in the Dark-Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Rest in peace Logan Hardman and Chad Tohinaka.