Tony Hawk Remodeled A Home For The Widow Of His Best Friend Who Died Of Cancer

When pro skateboarder Tony Hawk’s best friend Ray Underhill passed away, he made a promise to help take care of the family his friend was leaving behind. Hawk stuck to that promise with a pretty amazing gesture: a home makeover for Underhill’s widow and their kids.

“When Ray died, I vowed to help them however I can,” he said in a new episode of the makeover series “MyHouzz” on YouTube. Following his friend’s death in 2008 from a rare form of brain cancer, Hawk said he stayed close with the family, continuing his friendship with Kerry Overman — Underhill’s widow — and their two children together.

“I’m officially Keaton and Olivia’s godfather and I’m still very much in their lives,” Hawk said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1141&v=IDfYRKjntxc

Overman later remarried her current husband Brad.

“[Brad] embraced the responsibilities before him — that’s a lot of pressure,” Hawk explained. “And I’m thankful … I’m thankful that Brad has taken that responsibility upon himself and also that he’s respectful of Ray’s legacy.”

After marrying, the couple had a daughter, Scarlett. “I’m so happy for Kerry that she got to experience love again,” Hawk said.

The skating legend noted in the video that “Brad and Kerry’s house is kind of stuck in a time warp,” which was his reason for gifting the renovation to the family.The furniture and aesthetics in the family’s Wilmington, N.C. home were in need of a refresh, including the bathroom, which Hawk likened to “a hallway cave.”

Hawk used Houzz to track down PBC Design + Build to help him with the renovations. The team worked together to utilize unused spaces, as well as bring a little more light into the home. They completely overhauled the kitchen and living area, removing a wall to create a combined, open space. They also created a bigger bathroom that would better accommodate the family.

The goal was also to keep the lodge-like style of the house intact, as well as memories of Ray, including benches and a table that had been etched with the iconic cross that was his first skateboard graphic.

“I love that you took the style of our home and intertwined it with all of the new things,” Kerry said to Hawk while taking in the renovation. “It still feels like my home.”

“She loves it, so mission accomplished,” said Hawk. “But I think she loves it more than I really imagined.”

He added: “I love this family and I’m so thankful to be part of it.”

[H/t People]