“HE WAS ALWAYS READY FOR SOMETHING NEW, UNEXPECTED… AND MAYBE A LITTLE WEIRD.”
Weston Higginbotham’s cousins share heartbreaking stories at funeral for beloved student found dead on family vacation
THE family of an American college student who was found dead in Japan after disappearing during a vacation was joined by hundreds of mourners as they celebrated his short life.
James “Weston” Higginbotham is thought to have gone hiking alone and lost phone signal before being found deadCredit: Facebook/@Nancy Higginbotham
Weston’s cousins shared heartbreaking stories as they remembered himCredit: YouTube/Asbury Bham
Family and friends gathered to honor Weston at his funeral on Wednesday in AlabamaCredit: Youtube/Asbury Bham
Weston pictured with his mother Nancy, who has been left heartbroken by his deathCredit: Instagram
He had been missing since May 29, when he separated from his parents and younger brother in Kyoto, Japan, to explore on his own.
Weston’s mom, Nancy, said he was an avid hiker but feared he underestimated how dangerous the terrain was.
She told CNN the pair had a disagreement over her use of ChatGPT on the trip as he was an environmental enthusiast, but said it was normal for him to walk into the woods to clear his head.
Japanese authorities ruled out foul play, although the cause of death has not been released.
Family and friends gathered to honor the Auburn University student at Asbury United Methodist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, on Wednesday afternoon, with the emotional service streamed on YouTube.
The memorial opened with a moving slideshow of photographs charting Weston’s life, from his childhood through to his college years, before his cousins took to the podium to deliver heartfelt eulogies.
Eddie Higginbotham recalled being in the woods with him before the trip and joking around about slang words used by the younger generation.
“Weston had a way of making everyone feel included, whether you were his age or six years older, perhaps trying a bit too hard to keep up,” Eddie said at the service.
He went on to describe him as “so dang cool” and said the college student was always busy with a hobby.
“When he wasn’t making international engineering impacts, he was running, when he wasn’t running, he was biking, when he wasn’t biking, he was climbing rocks, sometimes in the woods with his slightly uncool older cousin,” he said.
“I will always carry with me the pictures that we took at this year’s family Christmas party, we posed like those awful department store portraits from the 90s, cousins stacked on top of cousins.”
He joked that he and his wife would cling to Weston’s “stringy legs,” saying he was “the only solid thing in the frame.”
“When I think of Weston, I’ll always think of those pictures, easy to smile with, easy to laugh with and always ready for something new, unexpected, and maybe a little weird.”
Another older cousin, Lauren Higgenbotham, also honored Weston, and called him and his brother, Grayton, “The coolest kids on the block.”
Hundreds of mourners gathered at the church for the service before Weston was laid to restCredit: Youtube/Asbury Bham
Weston pictured with his family in Japan before he vanishedCredit: Instagram
Weston’s friends spoke of their memories of the college student during the emotional serviceCredit: Youtube/Asbury Bham
She retold a story about Weston once showing off his impressive record collection, and how they both loved camping and vintage clothing.
Lauren spoke about how he was interested in her running and was planning to take part in a Half Iron Man before he died.
“Weston squeezed every ounce out of life and its experiences but the most admirable part was not all the great accomplishments he had but the person that he was behind all of them,” she said.
“Weston put what he loved into action, through discipline and activism, supported by his sweet, sweet spirit of kindness, approachability and adventure.”
She said Weston went from being the first baby she ever held to a “very fun little kid with awesome blonde hair,” and eventually the “impressive man that we all love.”
Lauren started to break down as she spoke about how Weston took on qualities of his parents and brother, and also inspired others.
She said, “If we are all the sum of those that we love then there is nothing better that we could do now than take whatever it was about Weston that inspired you, and no matter what, never let it fade from who you are.”
Many of Weston’s longtime friends also read sweet eulogies, and spoke about his love of live music and how he was always on time.
Reverend Mike Holly said Weston “impacted everyone who knew him.”
“He had a charismatic smile and an adventurous spirit, and a deep love for this Earth,” he said.
Weston was laid to rest following a graveside ceremony later in the afternoon.
The arrangements came days after Nancy, her husband Keith and younger son Grayton returned home on a Delta flight with Weston’s body.
In a touching tribute shared ahead of the funeral, his family remembered a young man who “lit up every room with his charismatic smile.”
They described Weston as an environmental enthusiast who planned to dedicate his future to sustainability.
Weston’s love of the outdoors took him across some of the world’s most famous landscapes, including Yosemite, the Pyrenees Mountains, the Camino de Santiago and the Swiss Alps.
Following a dedicated and extensive search, Nancy broke the news of Weston’s death on social media.
SOURCE: Weston Higginbotham’s cousins share heartbreaking stories at funeral for beloved student found dead on family vacation