Jonathan William "Jon" Monaco, 30, of Sandy Hook, died July 19, surrounded by his family. After a three-year battle with bone cancer, which included many hospitals visits, chemotherapy, and the amputation of his right leg, he courageously ended his fight with the terrible disease. He was born July 1, 1988, in Princeton, N.J., and was the son of Mandy and Bill Monaco.

His loved ones say it is hard to put into words who he was as a person, because he was so much more than a bunch of words on a page, but here are the ones that come closest to describing his life:

Mr Monaco spent some of his childhood in New Egypt, N.J., but as the family grew they ended up in Sandy Hook. He was raised with his two younger sisters, Ali and Julia, and their dog. After graduating from Newtown High School in 2007, Mr Monaco went on to major in hospitality at Johnson State College in Johnson, Vt. He spent seven years in Vermont, making many friends and spending his winter days snowboarding down the beautiful mountains around him.

After moving back home to Connecticut, he got a sales job at Verizon Wireless in Brookfield. Throughout his life, he was known for his gift of the gab, so naturally he fell in love with sales. He could talk to any person about anything, no matter how long he had known them.

Mr Monaco made an adventure out of life. From taking on the mountains of Vermont, to skydiving twice (one of the times being the day after receiving chemo); he loved everything about testing life's limits and looking fear straight in the face. He was the definition of strength and touched many hearts throughout his life.

He fought his cancer for his family and for his friends, who he treated like family. Through the pain and struggle he faced, Mr Monaco woke up each morning embracing the day and taking on any challenges ahead of him. The love and strength he had inside of him will live on eternally. His years may have been cut short, but he made sure to truly live them.

Memorial donations can be made to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center at mskcc.org.