LEHI, Utah — Three days after their 13-year-old son died after drowning in their Lehi family pool, the parents of Beckham Cram have a simple message to share in hopes everyone can hear.
"Don't wait for someone to die to share with them the impact they had on your life," said Beckham's father, Marc.
Beckham was swimming in the pool Sunday when he drowned. Lehi police had few details about the incident, but said the teen's death was not suspicious. His family is still coping and still asking questions.
"Why was it him?," Marc asked. "Did he suffer?"
Since Beckham's death, the Cram family says they've learned so much about him through stories from friends and others in the community.
"We knew what a great kid he was, but I had no idea the amount of impact," his father said.
Morgan Cram, Beckham's mother, said her son loved life, especially sports.
"I always say he's his dad's best friend, but he was my mama's boy," she said. "He loves to love, and I mean that kid would go to the grocery store with me and he would carry the groceries, take him upstairs for me, everything, do anything."
Though still grieving, Beckham's family plans to honor and remember him by living their lives they way he always did.
"He was all about fun," Marc said. "He was searching fun everywhere he went, that was Beck, like Beck was the life of the party. He was always trying to lift people up. He was, he really was a light.
"His legacy is helping people just find the joy in life because he found it in almost everything."
Social media posts show how the community is mourning the loss of Beckham, from a GoFundMe page to one from his youth football team, all expressing sadness hearing about his death.
Through tears, Marc shared what he told Beckham's teammates when they came to the house Monday.
"I told those guys ... don't wait to express how you feel about people," he said. "Don't wait for them to pass away."
The Cram's added that their wish is for Beckham's funeral to be a celebration of who he was and not a time of sorrow focusing on the family.
"He would want no tears and just all laughter," his father said. "And so we're gonna pay the respect, but we're gonna try to do it in the best way possible for Beck."
The GoFundMe page said funds raised will go towards purchasing "Be Like Beck" gear such as jerseys, towels and wrist bands for people to wear at his funeral.
