Orem teen who died in motorcycle crash remembered for his dancing, kindness and hugs

OREM — When people talk about Noah Scribner, their first thoughts aren't about how talented he was, though he was. Or about his hard work, though he worked harder than most.

The first thing Brittney Wakefield remembers is how deeply he loved.

"He gave the biggest, most heartfelt hugs," said Wakefield, who coached Noah in ballroom dance for nearly a decade. "From the time he was little, he just had so much love to give."

Noah, just 17 years old, died earlier this week in a motorcycle crash in American Fork Canyon.

Details about what led Scribner to go off the road are still being investigated, but the loss has already left a void in his family, his school, his dance team and his community.

"He was remarkable," said Wakefield. "A remarkable young man who really touched so many lives and really just lived life to the fullest."

Noah was just weeks away from graduating high school and was preparing to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He was working as a mechanic, had a growing love for cars and the outdoors, and seemed to live with an energy that inspired others.

"He just had this vibrant energy about him, this zest for life, this enthusiasm," Wakefield recalled.

However, it was on the dance floor where Noah truly came alive.

"He was so talented," said Wakefield. "I just remember a very specific time when we were working together on a Viennese waltz and he brought me to tears because of how much emotion he exuded and how much he loved dancing."

He danced competitively with the BYU Youth Dancesport Program, often traveling to other cities with his team.

Wakefield said he took every routine as a challenge and pushed himself not just to get the steps right, but to make them meaningful.

"When I would say maybe a certain move was too hard or wouldn't work, he'd take it personally. In a good way," she said with a smile. "He would go home and practice it a hundred times until he nailed it. And then he would come back and prove he could do it."

Noah brought that same passion to everything in his life.

But what made him truly special was his heart.

Wakefield said he had a tenderness about him, especially when it came to his family.

One memory sticks out to her was seeing how close he was with his mother.

"He was the kind of young man that wasn't afraid to hold his mom's hand or put his arm around his mom or lay his head on her shoulder in public," she said. "A lot of teenage boys might be self-conscious about that, but not Noah. He loved his mom so much, and he didn't care who knew it."

A candlelight vigil was held Thursday night outside the Scribner family home in Orem.

Friends, neighbors, dance teammates and community members gathered to share stories, light candles and honor a young man whose impact stretched far beyond his years.

"He will always be missed and never forgotten," Wakefield said.

Wakefield said she hopes people will continue to share memories and keep his light alive.

A *GoFundMe page has been set up to help the Scribner family with funeral expenses, and to help them as they begin to navigate life without Noah.

Wakefield said the family is feeling the outpouring of support from the many communities he was part of and they thank everyone for reaching out to them.

"There were so many amazing qualities about him," she said. "And I think continuing to talk about those, about the ways he made people feel, that's how we keep his spirit with us."

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