Noel Russell Ferlen

"I considered Noel my best friend in High School. We went separate ways after Scottsdale, he went to ASU and I went into the military. I cannot remember how many times I have thought of him throughout the years, too many to count. Now, 4 years after his passing, I looked him up to find he has gone. I am ashamed I didn't reach out before hand. I have missed you brother, and will continue to miss you."

"I can't believe this. Noel and I were close friends and roommates for about 8 years in and after high school. I would love it if someone from his family would reach out to me to catch me up. "

"I just found out Noel passed and I am heartbroken. My condolences to others who have been effected by his passing. You can?t really encapsulate who he was and what Noel meant to others in a couple paragraphs like this, as he was a spectacular one-of-a-kind person, but I'll try. Noel and I were coworkers and good friends back in our twenties. He was such an affable, gregarious and self-deprecating individual. And I use words like that because that was another thing Noel was, which was articulate and intelligent. I remember always being so impressed by his vocabulary and his knowledge of things. He loved athletics and was very competitive. On the weekends we played tennis, ping pong, basketball, frisbee golf, racquet ball, darts, speed chess?it was so much fun, like an adult play-date! He had a youthful energetic spirit which was contagious and drew people to him. Oh, and did I mention how funny this guy was? We would sit and tell stories and joke around and I?d listen to his anecdotes, quips, and funny remarks and literally laugh till I cried. Everyone liked him and thought he was so funny. There was also a side to him which was soft-spoken and kind, and I remember him being a very ethical and thoughtful person at his core. He just had so many interesting, cool, and positive traits that people were drawn to. As a colleague his dedication and aptitude for his profession was something to behold. From the beginning he always shined and it was no surprise to see him grow throughout his career and achieve the level of success that he did. The last time we communicated he told me about how awesome it was and how proud he was to be a father and you could tell parenthood meant so much to him. Nick, I know you meant the world to your father. A message to my friend: Dude, we had some good times didn?t we? Remember the sports bag, piggly wigglies, ?oxygen and carbine dioxodeal?, lol! All the fictional legacy screen names we made fun of?"LAZR?. Our games of BASEketball in your driveway. When you accidentally busted open that bag of concrete in my car..Grrrr. Exhausting ourselves in that scorching AZ sun and replenishing with Mountain Dew and Pepsi. All of our running jokes that seemed to give us endless humor and amusement. And of course the ridiculous guy conversations only a couple single dudes in their twenties could get away with. The thing was man, you were kind of like a role model to me since you were older, wiser, and more successful. But you always made me feel like I was smart, talented, and ahead of the curve (when I wasn?t really)?nonetheless, I appreciate you for that. You put up with my immaturity which I?m sure I was oblivious to back then. Honestly, you contributed to the person I am today, and only for the better, despite the ups and downs my life took in the ensuing years. Essentially what I?m saying is, you made a difference to me. Your life meant something. You made me better and this world a better place. I wish we could?ve stayed in touch all those years after I moved away. We clearly each had our own paths and you made the best of yours, that?s for sure. Yours was a life completed. Anyhow, I?ll see you again one day when I get up there friend?we?ll have some catching up to do."

"NOELY This last 2 weeks I go from crying, to having a sense of unreality, to finally feeling part of me is gone. Perhaps only a handful of us?certainly not I?knew Noel had been sick. There are, I suppose, a lot of things that make up the happiness of our lives. And we don't, I suppose, think on any one of them until it is missing. NOELY SOON TO ARRIVE I had a love for and attachment to Noel before his birth. My sister Toni (12 years older) was living in West Virginia, and we'd get letters from her telling us what was going on. When she was pregnant we got a letter, and mom, reading, said, "Toni's thinking of naming him Noel." I, unfamiliar with the name, said, "Don't name him Noel!" Then a few weeks later we got another letter, and mom said, "She's thinking of naming him Neil." I immediately replied, "Name him Noel?name him Noel!!" I was 7 when he was born. Very excited later when we got baby pictures, I brought them to my 3rd-grade class for show-and-tell. [Insert: Baby picture of Noel?in black-/yellow-/green-/red-striped jumper.] A few years later Toni moved home, and Noel was beginning to grow. And Noel would ask me, "Will you play baseball with me? I'll be your best friend!" I didn't really always want to play baseball. But afterward I was always glad I had. When Noel was five, Toni moved with him to Arizona, and that was somewhat hard on me. But she and Noel would also come back to Minnesota every year or two to visit. NOEL'S SENSE OF HUMOR Since he was very young, Noel always had a great sense of humor. He liked to tease in a very playful manner. I had a female pen pal in Hawaii from 7th - 12th grade, and Noel (age 6 or 7 now) found out about this and kept trying to find out what her name was, but I wouldn't tell him. Finally, he wrote out on paper and stuck to our family bulletin board: "JOHN + PEN PAL." In 1979 (Noel age nine now) the two of us were watching a movie on a Saturday night called, "The Two Lives of Jenny Logan" with Lindsey Wagner?I on the left, Noel to my right. (You can still watch this on YouTube. And I finally found it and watched it again this last year.) The movie was very meaningful to me, and I was trying to concentrate. And there was a theme song playing intermittently throughout the movie. [Insert staff with notes.] And Noel (seemingly to twit me for taking the movie so seriously) would sing the melody line over and over again in an increasingly bizarre, distorted, contrived, and wildly exaggerated manner--until I couldn't help, in spite of myself, but to start laughing. [Insert melody line/manner in which Noel?very playfully?mocked me with it.] Over the years Noel and I would trade calls and talk about life. And we would also very loosely plan my coming out to Arizona and the two of us taking a trip to the Grand Canyon. For various reasons--maybe a million reasons?it never quite happened. Strangely, I finally come--but only now when Noel?s presence can no longer be had. I conclude here that certainly the crying, and also the feeling of unreality, but (more than both of these) the degree of happiness I have experienced in life is in no small way linked to the fact that there was, somewhere in the world, a man named Noel Russell Ferlen. Noel, you are sorely missed. And, maybe without knowing it, you kept your promise: You have ALWAYS been my best friend. John Johansson Arizona (Oct. 26 ? 29, 7:23 a.m.)"

"I just learned Noel died. I hadn?t seen or talked to him in about 35 years, but he was my best friend for a few years in grade school starting when he came to our house introducing himself and asking if I could play. It saved me from taking a nap, so of course we were best friends! One spring we each got the same matching short/shirt set, blue/white/yellow with Snoopy on it. I had to wait until Easter to wear mine but he was allowed to wear his right away. Sigh. Anyway, one of our parents took us to the mall, him in his new outfit and me, well, not. There were some sort of animal exhibit going on and the only picture I have of the two of us is from that trip, with a big snake around our shoulders. I love it because we were both so happy. It just didn?t get better than holding a big snake with your best friend. Well, maybe it would have been better if I?d been in my Snoopy outfit too, but oh well. We grew apart around the 7th or 8th grade I guess, as kids sometimes do. He was maturing faster than I was, and I remember being upset that he had other best friends. I?m quite sure I didn?t deal with it very well. After 8th grade we moved away, and I lost touch with him. For good, as it turns out. I?m sad I never reconnected with him. I have thought of Noel often throughout the years, wondering what became of my old best friend, and have always remembered him fondly. My deepest condolences go to his family. If you're interested, you can see my photo of us here: https://tinyurl.com/ycnsglqt"

"It was such a shock to hear of Noel's passing. I am still trying to process this tragic news. Noel was so well thought of by everyone who knew him and he will be greatly missed. When we worked together he was always sincere and passionate to help people build wealth and give them better lives. He taught me so much in many ways, professionally and personally. He had such a positive impact on my life and so many others. I will always cherish the conversations and fun we had over the years. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family... Noel will be in our hearts and memories."

"Noel was amazing and unique, truly. He could talk with you intelligently on any topic: politics, history, finance, literature, science -- you name it. And he would not talk to hear himself talk, rather, he would want to hear your take on things, he would listen carefully to your ideas. Though he was so incredibly clever, he handled others so gently and so respectfully. He had the power to make people feel loved; who can you say that about?! He made people laugh endlessly with his wit. He seemed to have an innate talent for every single sport. And yet, as the others have said, he was not proud; never disrespected someone else. The frenzied enthusiasm Noel could generate delighted everyone! He was an expert at generating glee in others! What a staggeringly incredible man."

"Noel has been managing our retirement portfolio for several years. We have met in person when he traveled to Newport Beach and we have has many discussions on the phone. He had an amazing understanding of financial investments in addition to being a wonderful person. We are shocked and saddened by his untimely passing. We had envisioned a continuing long term relationship. Our deepest sympathy to his family and friends for their tremendous loss."

"I am so sorry to hear the news of Noel's passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

"I'm so sorry to hear this news. I worked with Noel and Amy when I was at Schwab some 20 years ago and he was such an great guy. And when I say great its not just the standard great. He really stood out from the crowd. The hardest most dedicated worker, modest even though he was the best at everything, and always had a smile on his face with kind words to say. My condolences. The world lost one of the good ones today."

"Amy, Nick and family: There are no words at this moment to express my extreme sympathy to you! I?m so sorry for your loss and can?t imagine ow your life will change. I hope you all can take sins time off and be with family right now. Keep his memory alive and create some routines for Nick to remember him. Amy if there is anything I can do let me know. I have a could shoulder to cry in and a good ear to listen. Thoughts and payers to you. Karyn Arns"

"I am so, so, sad. I had just, weeks ago, posted in the Saguaro High School page asking if anyone knew his whereabouts.... He and I meet in 10th grade and just CLICKED! I adored him, he and I had many classes together over the years and I view him to this day as one of my closest high school friends. I was able to keep in touch with him for several years after we graduated but eventually lost touch. I searched for him at our 25 reunion and again most recently at our 30th. My heart is broken. I will be praying for all who were touched by this precious soul. I'm just so so sorry."

"My family and I were so sad to hear the news of Noel?s death. We were clients of Noel?s, but we considered Noel a trusted friend. Though we never met in person, we felt as if we knew Noel because we talked about personal things, not just financial. He helped us in a time of great need patiently answering all of our questions. We will miss talking and laughing with him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his his family."

"I?m in shock, and so sad I haven?t reconnected with him. I consider him one of my BEST friends from high school, and we?re in touch for several years after; lots of laughing, gaming, football, tennis, and dating tales. I haven?t been in touch, regret it deeply. My heart, and prayers are with all of his family."

"Rest in Paradise, old friend... God bless and Godspeed. ?? Roxanna (Recalde) Lara"

"We began as Noel?s clients, but grew to care deeply for him as a friend. We shared a love for reading, recommending and discussing books ? oh, and investments, too. We trusted Noel, respected him, and knew how much he loved his family. We will miss him more than we can ever express."

"Amy, Nick and Family; My deepest heartfelt prays are with you at this time. Noel and I worked together for several years and I grew to carry a large amount of respect for his humility and great ability. We have Lost him far too soon!"