I'm sorry to hear about your friend bro. Anniversaries can be really tough, I know that first hand. I'm afraid I don't really have anything constructive to say. As hollow as it may sound, I hope your friend is in a better place. Maybe him and my mom can somehow read this thread and chuckle at us for being sentimental.
It sounds like, if nothing else, he's left behind a tremendous legacy and that he led an interesting life. There are few (if any) things a person can do in this life that are more important than influencing a child in a positive way. My grandfather sent me this in an email today:
"One hundred years from now it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much was in my bank account or what my clothes looked like. But the world may be a little better because I was important in the life of a child"

It's funny, when I was younger I thought the most important legacy one could leave behind was one of fame and glory, of adoration and superficial emulation. Now that I'm older and have lost the person closest to me, I realize how important the role we adults play in the lives of children. In my mind, there is nothing more important than that seemingly simplistic and natural act. As children, we may never even be aware of how much those "regular" people like our mothers, fathers, and friends have impacted our lives until it is far too late. I can only hope that someday my cousins can look back at "cousin Josh" and smile thinking about how I contributed in some small way to their becoming just and happy people.