JOEY
My brother Joseph (“Joey”) was the funniest, wittiest, and most deeply caring soul. His life brought joy to so many and his bright light will be deeply missed.
In and out of recovery for many years, Joey continuously struggled with an addiction to opioids. While he was not without the unending support of his family, it proved to be a battle that could not be overcome.
On February 19th, 2019, Joey passed of an accidental overdose of Oxycodone.
That night will forever burn in my memory, but we will continue to fight in honor of his life. While it grieves us to think of his passing, his light will shine on in not only our hearts but through the work that we do alongside dozens of other nonprofits dedicated to fighting the opioid epidemic.
With the work of this organization, we honor the memory of who he was at his core: an incredible human being. Whether it was for the endless amount of turtles needing help crossing the road, a friend who needed help in the middle of the night, or someone just needing a smile and a hug, Joey was always there when he was needed.
Joey will always be my brother, my parents’ only son, my children’s uncle, our friend, your friend... he was funny and sweet, charming, caring, brave, strong and ridiculously handsome. He was everyone’s friend. No matter who were, what you did, or what people said about you, he looked at your heart and gave ceaselessly to those who needed it.
Joey truly saw beauty in the little things, whether it be a flower growing in between the cracks in the pavement, or the way rain felt. He saw beauty everywhere.
With Joey at your side, it was easy to believe you could take on the world.
We hold on to these memories of who he was, and this is how he lives on in our hearts and our memories. We know there are other people like Joey out there- Incredible human beings fighting what seems like an impossible battle.
Together, we help his memory live on, and help others fighting the same fight live on to be more than what Joey is: a memory and a burning flame in our hearts.
If we can help one family, one person, one soul beat addiction, then we will have succeeded.
We do this for Joey, for the things that defined him, not the disease that claimed him. We do this for his jokes, his smile, and his unconditional friendship and love.
