Once a topic caught his curiosity, Travis Terrell Lamb would not stop until he had learned everything there was to know about it. His insatiable desire to learn and grow and to accept everyone for who they are made Travis a loving son, brother and friend to every person around him.
Matthew Lamb, Travis’ father, said Travis always went out of his way to make friends with those who had no one to talk to.
“He was very outgoing, extremely smart and very inclusive, particularly to people he did not know,” Matthew Lamb said. “He would make it a point to go and talk to the person eating alone, or anyone who was alone in the dorm.”
Travis’ intelligence was apparent at an early age, and his interests covered a wide range of topics. He was a third-degree black belt in taekwondo, he loved to read and play boardgames and was majoring in computer science engineering.
“His favorite board games were the ones that created a lot of interaction [between the players],” Matthew Lamb said. “Some of his favorite ones were Cosmic Encounter and Pandemic.”
Travis lived in the McFadden dorm his freshman year as part of the A&M honors program. Matthew Lamb said Travis loved being in the honors program because the environment was intellectually challenging.
“Travis was into philosophy and loved to debate,” Matthew Lamb said. “He loved to have deep conversations about topics that weren’t ‘black and white,’ and to hear what others had to say.”
Shannon Lamb, Travis’ sister, said Travis accepted everyone for who they were.
“Travis always encouraged people to be themselves,” Shannon said. “In high school, he would go out of his way to make friends with the freshmen when he was a junior and senior. He was involved with the LGBT group at A&M. He was friends with absolutely everyone.”
Travis loved to read, and his reading habits and interests were a reflection of his intelligence.
Stephanie Bristow, Travis’ girlfriend, said the reading recommendations he gave her never failed to surprise.
“He would go to the bookstore to [stock] up on books every summer,” Bristow said. “He was one of the smartest people I’ve ever met, and if he didn’t understand something, he wouldn’t stop until he had figured it out.”
More than 500 people attended Travis’ memorial service, a show of love Matthew Lamb said was testimony to his inclusive nature.
“One of the pieces of his legacy … was that he accepted you for who you were,” Matthew Lamb said. “I was shocked and amazed at how many lives Travis had touched.”