Architecture senior Adam Conrad Grote, 22, died early Sunday morning after being struck by a motorist who fled the scene while Grote was on foot on Interstate Highway 35 near Riverside Drive.
Grote, who was set to graduate in the spring, had spent the evening of his death sharing drinks with friends in celebration of Saturday’s football win, according to friend and architecture senior Ross Wagner.
Memories of Adam’s frequent pranks, passion for camping trips and affinity for game shows were shared Tuesday night at a memorial service at Goldsmith Hall where about 40 students, faculty and friends gathered to remember Adam.
Wagner said Grote loved music, was always helpful inside and outside of the classroom and was intelligent.
“He was the kid that you envied because he could study for 15 minutes and get the same grade as you, even if you studied for three days straight,” Wagner said.
Grote was designated as a commended National Merit Scholar finalist before his graduation from Lee’s Summit High School in Lee’s Summit, Mo., in 2007, according to school records.
Grote’s out-of-state origins did not deter his Longhorn spirit, said architecture senior and friend Meredith Quigley.
“Though he was out-of-state, he bled orange more than I do as a native Texan,” Quigley said. “He was a Longhorn fan through and through. He stayed at every football game, no matter the outcome.”
Quigley said Conrad was involved in the Undergraduate Architecture Student Council and the planning of the Beaux Arts Ball, Longhorn Halloween, Parent’s Weekend activities and other service projects. She said she believes Conrad would have stayed in Texas after graduation.
“He had hoped to stay and work in Texas,” Quigley said. “This was his new home. I am almost certain he would have liked to have gotten his architecture license in Texas. His future as a designer was bright and the impact he would have made upon our landscape and community would have been meaningful and lasting.”
Quigley said greater than the loss of Grote’s talent and potential is the loss of someone who “was well-loved and a source of much pride” to his friends and family.
“Most importantly, as a friend, he is irreplaceable,” Quigley said. “Though he worked hard and excelled in his studies, he never took for granted the importance of fun and friends. Oh, and he loved a good prank.”
A funeral service will be held Thursday at St. Peter’s United Church of Christ in Kansas City, Mo., at 11 a.m. Graveside services will immediately follow at the Lee’s Summit Historical Cemetery in Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Grote is survived by his parents, Beth and Daniel Grote; and his brother, Jeffrey Grote, of Lee’s Summit, Mo.; and grandparents Betty and Alfred Conrad and Elizabeth and Eugene Poelker of St. Louis, Mo.
A dozen or so students plan to travel to Missouri to pay their last respects to Grote, said friend and architecture senior Melynn Mayfield. She said Grote’s absence would be felt by all who knew him.
“He was one of those people that flew under the radar for some, but for those of us that were close with him, he was a cherished and unforgettable friend, and we will all profoundly miss him,” Mayfield said.
