They called him “Old Man Liam.”

William Marshall “Liam” Reigel Jr. was very much not an old man, but he was an old soul. When his younger cousin got in trouble at school, Liam asked his mother if he could have a talk with her. His mother remembers watching Liam, then age 11, walk down their driveway, his hand on his cousin’s shoulder, telling her it wasn’t OK to lie.

Samantha Reigel Green, Liam’s mom, believes he has been an angel his whole life, and now he’s been called back. But she trusts that, in heaven, he’s “making sure all the angels are behaving themselves.”

Liam, a freshman at Glenelg High School who loved football and hockey, died Dec. 22 of brain cancer. He was 14.

Liam was born on April 28, 2010, to Green and Bill Reigel. The couple struggled to pick a name for him, until Green suggested their second baby should be a junior. Reigel never thought he was one for the senior-junior relationship, but when Green suggested they call him Liam, he knew it fit just right.

Later, his name would become something even more meaningful, Reigel said. As Liam grew older, and as he grew sick, he lived the best life he could, exactly as he was, because he knew who he was. So now Reigel tells others to live as Liam’s name tells you to: Live “I am.”

Liam was an easy baby who ate a lot, Green said. He didn’t talk until he was about 2 1/2, “but he was having conversations with us long before he knew what the words were,” she said.

“He’d be enunciating, facial expressions and all that,” Green said. “And, when he started talking, it was full sentences immediately and he never stopped.”

Liam soon became known for his quick wit and sharp commentary. His mother thinks he would have grown up to be a sports commentator, though Liam told some he wanted to become a veterinarian. He relished time with his cat, Misty, and his mother’s house is filled with animals.

He was a responsible, intelligent child, who would sometimes discipline himself before his parents even got the chance.

Green remembers seeing Liam sitting by himself on the stairs when he was 8 or 9 while the rest of his siblings played outside on a trampoline. When she asked what he was doing, he said he’d “accidentally on purpose” hurt his brother — who wasn’t even upset about the incident, which was an accident — but Liam came inside and put himself in time-out anyway.

Liam loved spending time with his siblings. He had an older sibling, Skylar “Jupiter” Reigel. Later, after his parents divorced, his family expanded to include Walter Green, his stepfather, and four stepsiblings, Hannah Green, Kimsey Green, Gracyn Green and Jameson Green.

They often played together outside, kicking a soccer ball or swimming. Liam also loved kicking field goals, so much so that Green put uprights in her yard. He enjoyed playing video games on Xbox and could often be heard saying, “You’ve got to be serious!” instead of “You’ve got to be kidding me!” when something went awry.

And he was funny.

Liam was a huge Baltimore Ravens fan, like his mother, but he rooted for the Pittsburgh Steelers to appease his father. In 2016, when the Steelers beat the Ravens with under 10 seconds left in the fourth quarter on Christmas Day, he turned to his dad and said, “I’m having trouble controlling my rage right now.” (Liam would be glad to know the Ravens beat the Steelers in the first round of the playoffs on Saturday.)

When Liam was 8, Reigel took him to his first Washington Capitals hockey game. As Liam waited for his father and godfather to finish their beers before entering the arena, he told them, “A little less talking, a little more drinking!”

Liam first experienced cancer symptoms in late 2022, and he was diagnosed with brain cancer that December. He underwent surgery the same month. It was hard, Green said, but Liam “faced all of it like a trooper.”

Doctor’s appointments, blood tests, whatever it was, Liam just went with the flow. There were sad days, frustrating days and uncertain days, but Liam did his best to search for the positives — and there were many, his parents said.

After his diagnosis, Liam was able to tour the Ravens stadium and kick field goals there. His personal best was 33 yards, and just a few months after his brain surgery, he was hitting 30-yard field goals at M&T Bank Stadium. He also got to meet Justin Tucker, one of his favorite players.

Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Liam also visited the Capitals in 2023. He skated with the team, practiced penalty shots and met his favorite player, Lars Eller. He didn’t get to meet Alex Ovechkin, the Capitals captain and star player, so Liam said he “kind of felt like a substitution” for him.

The next day, before the Capitals played the Detroit Red Wings, Liam got to read the starting lineup and offer the team words of encouragement.

“Tonight, it’s a team game, and we play like one,” he told the locker room, which erupted in cheers.

The Capitals invited Liam back the next year to meet Ovechkin, who’s been chasing hockey legend Wayne Gretzky’s record for most goals scored. As Ovechkin walked away after taking pictures and signing autographs, Liam yelled after him, “Catch Gretzky!”

Liam started last year as a freshman at Glenelg High School, even as his health continued to decline. He went to school with a cane and later a wheelchair but never felt embarrassed. That was other people’s problem, not his, he told his father. He left school in November.

“He was the bravest man I’ve ever met,” Reigel said. “He was 14, but he faced it all with his eyes open, even when things were going south.”

Liam knew a cancer diagnosis meant he could die, and he talked about it with a child psychologist at Johns Hopkins. His family knew exactly what his wishes were and how he wanted to be remembered.

“I want to be remembered for what I stand for,” Liam wrote. “I want people to remember me as a positive guy with a good sense of humor. If I do die, I want my parents to know that I love them. I want my siblings to know that I love them, and it’s OK for people to be sad, but I don’t want them to be sad forever.”

The Banner publishes news stories about people who have recently died in Maryland. If your loved one has passed and you would like to inquire about an obituary, please contact obituary@thebaltimorebanner.com. If you are interested in placing a paid death notice, please contact groupsales@thebaltimorebanner.com or visit this website.