FORT MYERS, Fla. — Family members and friends are grieving as they cope with the loss of Gregory Strasser, who died during Hurricane Ian.
"I’ve lost the last person to share all those memories from when we were kids," said Janet Link, Strasser's sister. "He was my big brother."
They weren't blood-related, but their bond said otherwise. Strasser was adopted at a young age. Link says he was always watching over her.
He was a high school football star and loved anything mechanical. Strasser ended up opening up his own motorcycle shop in his 20s after going to a motorcycle mechanic school in Florida. The shop was in New Jersey, where he lived with his family.
In his 40s, Strasser moved to Fort Myers.
"Greg being Greg, he bought a fire house in Fort Myers," Link said.
A house he fixed up and called his own.
Strasser became a massage therapist and eventually a manager at Mother Earth, a health and wellness store. Janet said for seven weeks, he was receiving medical treatment.
"I said Greg, why don’t you go to a shelter," she said before Hurricane Ian hit. "I don’t think he felt healthy enough to do what he needed to do to get in a car and drive to a shelter."
He decided to hunker down during Hurricane Ian.
"He would always say Jan don’t worry. You worry too much, I’m going to be ok," Link said. "So I said I would check on him later."
Later came and his neighbors called Link. They found Strasser dead in his house. According to the Lee County Medical Examiner's Office, he died of COPD, though he's still listed as a Hurricane Ian victim.
Link said he used an electric machine to help him breathe. His loss is hurting Link deep as she is now the only sibling still alive, and both of their parents are gone.
"This is the last person who knew me when I was born or from the time I was a little kid," she said.
A little kid that grew up to be a gentle soul, kind-hearted and spiritual.
"I miss you. I miss you so much. I miss talking to you," she said. "In the end when I’m gone, I’m physically gone. Remember my heart. That’s what he said.
