Grey Liston died Saturday July 20, 2013 in Olympic National Park as the result of a mountaineering accident. He made his home in Portland Oregon but was a native of North Carolina, where he grew up. He was the son of Rick and Gail Liston and leaves a younger brother, Seth.

He attended The University of North Carolina at Wilmington, earning a Master’s degree and was a proud four year member of the UNCW Seahawk Swimming and Diving Team. He also served for 4 years as a member of the Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue Team.

His parents, Rick and Gail, in partnership with the UNCW swim program and the UNCW Advancement Office, have created the Grey Liston Scholarship in Athletics Endowment fund. This scholarship will be awarded annually to a deserving Seahawk Swimmer or Diver. This will have a significant impact on some young person for years to come by helping them toward the completion of their undergraduate education in Grey’s name.

The things Grey loved most in this world were his family and his friends. Next to that came his love for being an athlete. He excelled at climbing, hiking, biking, swimming, skiing and surfing and never, ever missed an opportunity to “go out there”. Grey was also an accomplished musician, founding a popular band in Portland. He did all of this while practicing as a successful CPA. Grey never wasted one day, one hour, one moment of his life. It’s almost as though he realized how very precious life is and how very important the people around us are. These are easy things for most of us to become complacent about.

One of Grey’s favorite athletic events was the open water swim. He never missed an opportunity to compete. He also loved Wrightsville beach and the close fraternity of the men and women who perform the daunting task of ocean rescue. This pier to pier swim is something that Grey would have definitely been excited about. He would have encouraged each of us to get out there, to participate, and to truly live. Here’s hoping that each of you are “Stoked to Go Out”!