The National Addiction Memorial honors the loved ones we’ve lost.

Wonderful caring gorgeous sweet man who had a terrible alcohol addiction

Hanging at home cooking together, playing with our cat, watching TV, listening to music

His smile, his voice, his hugs..everything

That he was his own man on his own journey and that he lived his life his way

Joe was such a loyal person to the core. If he was your friend, you were his friend in good or bad times, no matter what you could do for him. I have yet to meet another person with his character

Mandee was an empathetic heart,she trusted too much in the wrong people and things which led her down a dangerous path.Addiction robbed her perception of love and what was real as we watched a slow suicide. Addiction did not win.We are their voice

Skipping to preschool on her first day, running through the fall leaves with her new backpack, and her sweater she wore that was knitted by her nana, her special person

Her laugh, her wit, and her deep love and compassion

As a loving soul that tried her best

He wanted all people to be able to be treated equally. He entered the prison system at 18 for a pot seed incarceration, it ruined his life, traumatized him, and gave him PTSD. This experience taught him we are all the same human race. He had compassion for others who struggled. He knew when someone was hungry or needed a laugh. He would always say “ he’s a good guy” he met no strangers . He knew life made some people do things they never would have done if things were different.He took the time to learn their stories.

Watching him with others. Laughing, telling stories, always seeing the humor in life. He was a natural leader. He made people like him, He would help them if he could, he gave his time. He talked to everyone. I love seeing him on his motorcycle he was so proud of it .I remember as a 5-6 yr old he took the motor off a lawn mower and put it on a bike, thats how bad he wanted a motorcycle!

I’ll miss our talks, I miss all the phone calls, I’ll miss the quality time that he spent with me just enjoy our time together, I’ll miss all the education, he taught me about how life is so different for people that have less. For example no health insurance, family support systems, or education, Paul wanted all of us to have these things in life.

I think Paul would like to be remembered as a good person. Life took him to places no person should ever have to go, and brought out the worst not the better. He always seem to rise above it, and give back to the community. He would ride around and give the homeless sandwiches and change out of his pocket. Paul knew what it felt like to have nothing. He will always be remembered as the one who taught me real compassion. He fought this life and addiction with compassion for others as he struggled to make it through each day. I will forever delete the words tough love from my vocabulary and replace them with love and compassion.

Humble and Kind

Dressing up like a monster and scaring all the kids on Halloween. Telling them they were scared by a girl the next day

How much fun he was

Humble and kind! The best friend you could have!

Ray’s father took his life in 2010, which is what really started his addiction. He struggled off and on for at least 8-9 years. We had the last year as a gift, full of memories, talks, tears happy & sad ,deep conversations. I will treasure always.

Playing sports, watching him hit the homeruns!!!

His jokes, pranks and seeing the love in his eyes and hearing him say you’re my rock mom, my best friend and you never gave up on me.

An old soul, loved all kinds of animals and children. Loved talking to the elderly and hearing their stories. He loved helping people and being a great friend.

He was loving and kind. Thought of others and was always there to help. He loved the outdoors and loved the rain. Caleb had an infectious smile that lit up the room when he walked in.

Our in depth talks

Everything

He was more than his addiction

I went to treatment with Brian. He was determined that he was never going to pick up again. He was always up to have fun, hit the beach and have a good conversation. He is missed.

While in treatment, four of us were able to take a road trip to look at a vehicle. We stopped at an arcade and we all took pics and had a great time. We would also go to the beach and snorkel any chance we got. It was always fun, with lots of laughing and lots of healthy entertainment.

His smile. His determination to be free of what eventually killed him.

As strong. A fighter.

I knew Noah since middle school. He and I had lockers next to each other. We reconnected thanks to Facebook and started dating. We fell in love and cared deeply for each other.

We went paddleboarding at Cumberlqnd Falls, Kentucky. His son, my son, he and I went and had a wonderful time. I never saw him so happy and free!

How much he loved me. Even though we were both in the middle of alcoholism, he loved deeply and had a wonderful heart. I believe his passing is the catalyst that made me get help.

Markham was a smart, loving, talented musician.

I loved when he played the guitar for me

I’ll miss his hugs, his cute laugh and how he stood up for everyone.

Mark would like everyone to be happy and recall the happy memories.

Gunner was a beautiful person who loved his family dearly.

The love he had for his family

Everything!

As a human being not an addict.

He would tell everyone he saw when he was small ( I love you )

He was always joking making you laugh He could make anyone laugh

Every thing His smile his jokes his cooking He was the grill master

He was the best son any mother could wish for Loving kind and very funny

Michael embodies true love for family. Though he struggled with addiction he never forgot to tell anyone he loved them and what they meant to him. When he smiled it was like seeing a light shine from within him. Our world is much darker without him.

His laugh. He didn’t have a loud laugh. It was more the sound that came from his throat that I remember and miss. He’d give us this half crooked smile and make this sound, and you knew he was being a brat and was happy. The last my time I heard it he was pulling a grey hair from my head and laughing at the fact he found it.

There isn’t anything I don’t miss. His smile, his scent, the way he’d say “can you make me coffee, mama?” I miss the lisp in his speech and mostly I miss his hands. He had such beautiful hands.

He’d only want to know that he was loved.

Ryan loved life. He had a huge personality, best sense of humor and the greatest laugh. He was extremely smart and had many talents. He was very artistic, had a passion for fishing/outdoors and loved being a father. He also loved country music.

There is so much to miss about Ryan. His smile was the best, his laugh was infectious, I miss his hugs, miss listening to him sing to every country song on the radio, miss going fishing with him and watching him catch big fish and get so excited, miss watching him be a father and I will miss being his mom. He told me last year that I was his best friend and that he knew he could always count on me. I will miss hearing him say love you after almost every phone call. I will just miss him so much.

Please remember Ryan for the fun, loving person that he was. He would give the shirt off his back for anyone and would help anyone in need. He was a very hard worker and always wanted to do his best. He loved his friends, his family, his daughters, and his fiancé very much. They meant everything to him. Ryan wore his heart on his sleeve. He had a passion for fishing, music and the outdoors. He truly loved being a father. He had the best smile and the greatest laugh.

Struggled for years to conquer this disease. Many times we thought he had beat it but we were wrong. In my heart he was smart, funny, caring and talented. I only wish he saw himself the way I did. We miss him so much.

My favorite memory about Nick was how sensitive and feeling he could be. He hated to see the homeless. He would often buy a gift card to McDonalds for him or her so they could have something to eat and a drink. He did this despite always having a new lie about why he needed money so he could buy drugs. I think he knew and understood their pain and as with himself wanted to lesson the pain. He had a very special soul.

I miss they way he smells, how he smiles, his silly sense of humor. I miss everything about him.

Please remember him as someone who never wanted to struggle with this horrible addition. He wanted a real job, he wanted to get married, he wanted to have children he wanted a simple life. It breaks my heart that he didn’t live to achieve these dreams.

Josh was a unique person. He was born the night before Thanksgiving, and his first birthday fell the day after Thanksgiving. I always told him he was special because he had 2 thanksgivings before he was a year old. He was such a bright light.

Watching him as a young boy playing baseball. Josh was a lefty, he was so good. Playing 1st and 3rd bases, he was a force to be reckoned with.

Watching him raise his son, and show him all the things a young boy should learn from his Dad. Hearing them laugh together.

As someone very funny, almost larger than life.

My husband of 16 years overdosed on heroin. We miss him terribly. Gone but not forgotten

Dirt biking all over.

His laugh and his kindness

He would like to be remembered as a great father. He was. When he was sober. Which he wasn’t a lot

Joshua was very compassionate. He cared deeply for others who struggled and would give them food and his own clothes so they wouldn’t do without. He had a very soft heart for animals and a huge capacity for love. His eyes could see a million miles.

I have many favorite memories one in particular was when he brought me a beautiful orchid and when I asked him what the occasion was he said it was for all I do for him and for loving him through it all.

His phone calls every day telling me that he’s okay. The mornings he would bring me coffee in bed. Our afternoon conversations sitting outside by our weeping willow tree. Hearing his voice calling my “mom.” The smirk in his beautiful smile. The precious little keepsakes he would make for me. I miss everything about him.

I believe he would like to be remembered as a compassionate soul who are deeply loved his children I was connected to his mom in such a soulful way. He would give away everything he had if it made someone else’s life happier, and he did.

My beautiful mom suffered from severe depression since well before I was born, but she loved her kids like crazy and was our biggest cheerleader. She fought a valiant but losing fight against alcoholism, but she's now at peace.

Mom played the piano (and tried to teach me, but I was not much of a student!). I have great memories of standing at the piano while Mom sat at the keys and pounded out Christmas carols like Joy to the World and Jingle Bells. We would all sing loudly, laugh and have great fun. I love Christmas, partly because Mom made such a big deal out of it!

Her amazing laugh, and being able to talk to her about anything. I knew she would support me no matter what mistakes I made.