It was five in the morning, a graduation party was coming to an end and, on the way home, someone proposed: “Let's drink inside the UCS fountain?” The idea was just to dip their feet in the water, which everyone in the group did. Except Vinicius, who said something like “I'm not just going to put my feet in. If I'm going into the fountain, I'm going to GO INTO THE FOUNTAIN.”

The decision produced a memorable story, illustrated by photos taken on a digital camera, popular in 2011, which showed Vinicius soaking wet, without his suit jacket, in shirt and tie, with a red umbrella. Inside the fountain of the University of Caxias do Sul, RS. 

Vinicius Cardoso Boff had this intensity as his birthmark. It could be both a quality and a flaw, depending on the situation — or even both at the same time. Either way, it was always quality entertainment for those around him. He did nothing in moderation: when he worked, he worked hard. When he studied, he studied hard. And when he partied, he did not know how to take it easy either.

With this striking presence, he was much sought after at different gatherings of friends and family. And in these places, he filled the whole room. Not in the sense that he wanted all the attention for himself, but because the attention went, naturally, to him, wherever he was. 

Vinicius was a unifier of people and kept friends from different groups, but he made a point of having contact with them only in person. He had no social media and considered it a waste of useful time. He spent those hours on his phone reading about various subjects, which gave him an endless repertoire of topics — and an ability to answer any question. If he did not know, he would come up with a creative answer. 

Despite being intense, Vinicius possessed an admirable patience. Nothing threw him off balance. In fact, the more bizarre the external situation, the calmer he became internally. 

A perfectionist in everything he did, if he decided to paint a wall, for example, it would take hours, to the point of even irritating those around him, but he knew he would paint the wall in the best possible way. He did four final-year projects, two for each of his degrees, Automation/Technologist and Automation Engineering. When he graduated from the latter, he wanted to go straight into a postgraduate course. The family begged him to take a break. Vinicius challenged himself, whether in calculations or in weight training. The motivation and the will to surpass himself came from within. 

But it was in the countryside, at the family's house in Cambará do Sul, RS, where he was transformed. In the tranquility of the lands of the canyons, he relaxed, he calmed down. He felt at home. 

Vinicius had little time here but it is as if he had accomplished everything he wanted. Nothing was done halfway. Everything was guided by the two phrases he said most: “Nothing but joy". “How wonderful”. The way he faced life always made everything lighter. And that is how those who remain remember him: light.

Text: Valquíria Vita, Legado Histórias de Vida 

Would you like to immortalize the story of your loved one who has passed away? Get in touch with Legado: 54 997114447