By Joseph Edgerton
Staff Writer

As Dr. Wayne Goldner and his wife, Laura, mourn the loss of their son, they honor a distinctive young man who was always looking to live life to the fullest.

"Jason was an unusual young man," said his father. "He was really wonderful. He was persistent, giving, adventurous, and he had a heart of gold."

Jason C. Goldner, 19, of Bedford died early on the morning of Sunday, Oct. 9, at the scene of a one-car crash on Route 6 in Brooklyn, Conn.

Jason Goldner, 19, who died in a car crash on Oct. 9, is shown here getting ready for his prom. "He loved to get dressed up. It was really funny," said his mother, Laura. All he needed was an excuse to buy a suit or rent a tuxedo, and he'd go for it. (Courtesy Photo)

"He was fascinated with the world and everything in it," said Wayne Goldner. "He was the type of kid who didn't need a seat in the first grade because he never sat down. He didn't need a bed, because he would just keep going until he dropped. We'd sometimes find him sleeping on the stairs."

His mother Laura Goldner recalls a mischievous side of her son that he recently shared with her.

"When he went away to school, I said, 'Tell me some stories, there's really nothing I can do about it now.'" she said. "So he told me about the infamous doggy door run story."

Goldner recounted how her son would have school friends over for sleep-overs and sneak out through the dog door after she and her husband had gone to sleep.

"We had the alarm set on watch mode, so the doors and windows would buzz if they were opened," she said. "We thought we were doing such a great thing by keeping the kids inside. I think the most hilarious part is that most of these guys were big, football player-type guys. One of them even got stuck in there for a while."

Wayne Goldner said incidents like those summed up Jason the best.

"He was just so full of life, and everything was a challenge to him," he said. "We tried to set some limits, which of course led to a little friction, but I'd say that overall we did a pretty good job."

Laura said her son had a reputation among teachers and friends as a mischief-maker with an unforgettable smile.

"His teachers all knew that he meant well, and he'd always end up making up some embellished story to explain himself," she said. "We used to call him 'the itch,' because if he was in your class, you knew he was there."

What made the Goldners happiest was that Jason and his older brother, Evan, were getting closer.

"They both told us that they were going to finish school and buy a live-in boat because they're both SCUBA certified," Laura Goldner said.

"Jason was going to be the photographer and chef, and Evan was going to be a divemaster. And you know, I really think they would have done it."

The Goldner family's loss has strengthened the bond between them, Wayne said.

"We enjoyed a lot of quality time together, and we're already a very close family," he said. "It's just difficult. It's really hard. I have no illusions, I mean the first few days, you're numb, and it never goes back to the way it was before."

The loss of his son has left Wayne Goldner with the memory of a young man who had a powerful effect on everyone who knew him.

"Jason touched a lot of people, and it was amazing to see them all show up at the services," he said. "I think that he was really a tall man in a relatively short body."