for Justin

Our son Justin was 19 years old. He was a typical 19 year old, had a car he drove too fast, had a job he loved to go to, played Call of Duty until the wee hours of the morning, had a group of friends he loved to hang out with – dinner, movies, cards and board games, Nerf wars – was the king of the photo bomb and his smile was infectious. Above all, he loved his family. 

Justin was an accomplished musician. He had a love for music across all genres – classic rock, country, jazz. Road trips were always interesting when he was in charge of the radio. He was active in music and band throughout middle and high school. 4 years of marching band at Marcos de Niza, never missing a Friday night football game, playing in the musical “pit”, symphony orchestra, jazz band, you name it, he was involved. He played the saxophone, trombone and tuba. He had the opportunity to travel to Europe with the Arizona Ambassadors of Music to play in and tour 7 countries. He also won the John Phillips Souza award for his musicianship and positive attitude. 

Justin was passionate about football, especially the Denver Broncos. Win, lose or draw, they were his team. He knew the facts and statistics, player bios and he never backed down from a conversation with the opposition. He would go toe to toe to defend his team or justify a play. You would be hard pressed to find a bigger Bronco fan in the state of Arizona.

He was about to embark on his sophomore year at ASU studying mechanical engineering automotive systems at the Polytechnic Campus. He had a passion for cars, all of them as long as they were American or European. He spent many a night online looking for that perfect restoration project on the Classic Auto Trader, his favorite reading material. He spent countless hours in the garage with his dad building Model T’s. He was able to tour with us to Indiana for the Model T’s 100 birthday celebration, to Kanab, Utah, Santa Clara, California and all over the state of Arizona. There was never an event that he did not want to participate in. His favorite car was of course the Dodge Challenger. He could talk about all things Mopar from old to new. Header Orange or Plum Crazy were ok colors for a car but nothing beat the SRT in Sublime Green.

On the day he was supposed to move back into the dorm, he found out that he did not pass his summer school calculus class. Justin did not suffer from depression, he was not diagnosed with an illness or disorder; however in those brief moments when he felt like he failed and let down his family and friends, he decided to take a permanent action to a temporary problem. On August 14, 2014, Justin committed suicide and our lives were forever changed. 

Suicide claims the lives of more than 1,100 college students each year. After cancer and heart disease, suicide accounts for more years of life lost than any other cause of death. The time to talk is now, to bring suicide out of the darkness, to take action and make people aware. If you or someone you know has thought about suicide, please find someone to talk to. There are national and local groups such as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Active Minds. If you are local, please contact EMPACT – The Suicide Prevention Center or call 1-800-SUCIDE. If you are a survivor of suicide, there is help for you too. SOS – Survivors of Suicide is a locally sponsored group with meetings throughout the valley. They offer a safe, judgment free environment and provide an opportunity for you to heal. Now is the time to reach out for a helping hand. 

Through this car, we are able to heal and share a little bit of Justin with everyone who takes the time to look and read his story. We are able to provide awareness and hope for those in need of a new tomorrow. 

Justin lives forever in our hearts………….and now he lives in your heart too.