A Highland man who died while serving an LDS mission in Romania was remembered Sunday as a dedicated musician, missionary and friend.
Twenty-year-old McKay Choy Burrows died of asphyxiation Friday from a natural gas leak in his apartment. His companion, Jace Edwards Davis, of Logandale, Nev., also died. Both were serving in the LDS Church's Romania Bucharest Mission.
Burrows had completed about eight months of his mission, said family friend Patrick Hendrickson.
"He was an exemplary young man, very talented, caring, sincere, dedicated," he said. "He was doing what he wanted to do."
Burrows graduated from Lone Peak High School and attended Brigham Young University on a scholarship, his family said in a written statement.
In addition to playing piano "with a concert pianist's skill," he also sang and played guitar, his family said. He played football, basketball and soccer, and also liked to write and draw, his family wrote.
The mission was a lifelong goal for Burrows, the statement said.
"We will miss -- but forever remember -- his bright mind, quick wit, empathetic approach, enthusiasm for life, and happy, engaging smile," the family wrote. "He served in an exemplary manner, touching many lives for the better, including the people he taught, the members of the church in Romania, his companions, and his family and friends at home."
The family also expressed gratitude for the sympathy and well-wishes they have received.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been scheduled.
