It was no exaggeration. When he entered a room, his ear-to-ear smile — referred to fondly by his mother as his "big ol' grand one" — lit it up entirely.

For friends and family of university student Tyler Fox Viscardi, 20, who died Friday night of a suspected drug overdose at a local hospital in Columbia, Viscardi's death is the devastating loss of an affable, easygoing individual who brightened the life of everyone he touched.

"Tyler's best attribute and strongest part of him was his ability to make everyone around him feel good," said Viscardi's father, Jeffrey Viscardi. "Everyone loved being around him."

Viscardi's friends also could not say enough about his naturally charismatic personality.

"He was full of life and was always up for a good dance," junior communications major Taylor Rockower said. "He could make a stranger feel as if they had known him for years."

Viscardi was taken to the hospital after he began exhibiting "concerning behavior" at the Mad Decent Block Party at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Friday night, according to Howard County Police. In a statement, the Viscardi family said they believe he was a given a bottle of water spiked with drugs, which led to a deadly reaction.

Viscardi, who grew up in Greenville, North Carolina, graduated high school from Arendell Parrott Academy in Kinston, North Carolina, and was a rising junior government and politics major at this university. He was interning at Aflac this summer.

Outside of school, some of Viscardi's biggest passions revolved around sports, as both a spectator and a participant.

Viscardi loved following the New York Giants and the Chelsea soccer team, his parents said. When it came to his own athletic interests, Viscardi played soccer and lacrosse through high school, and also loved golfing, skiing and surfing.

"Lacrosse was his favorite specifically for him to play," Viscardi's mother, Amy Viscardi, said. "He really loved lacrosse."

Viscardi also became an active member of his fraternity, Phi Kappa Sigma, a colony formed in spring 2013, according to fraternity member and senior government and politics major Brandon Perlman.

"He was always trying to help out; he was always, 'Hi, how can I help, what can I do next?'" Perlman said. "He was really great."

Viscardi's eagerness to help others was also reflected in his interest in service at the national and international levels. He went on a SERV trip to Peru in high school and visited Pittsburgh three times with Greenville Life Teen Missions, sponsored by his local church, Amy Viscardi said. She added that he also enjoyed volunteering for Give2TheTroops, which sends care packages to soldiers.

"He had a lot of great memories of those trips," Amy Viscardi said. "He felt strongly about it."

Viscardi is survived by his mother, Amy Viscardi, of Raleigh; his father, Jeffrey Viscardi, of Greenville; his sister, Chelsea Viscardi, of Raleigh; his grandmothers, Patricia Avellone, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Catherine Viscardi, of Rowayton, Connecticut; and many loving aunts, uncles and cousins.

Viscardi's funeral mass is scheduled for Aug. 7 at 10 a.m. at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Raleigh. Attendees are encouraged to wear bow ties in memory of Viscardi, who Amy Viscardi said could always be seen wearing one to almost every event he went to.

In lieu of flowers, those interested can make a donation to the U.S. Lacrosse North Carolina chapter, listing "Tyler Fox Viscardi Fund" in the memo line, or to the Wounded Warrior Project by visiting the "Donate in Memory or Honor of" page, listed under "Donate Now."