Athletic, vibrant, skilled, joy-bringer
Trevor hit the ground running as a baby and never stopped. He was crawling at six months, walking at 10 months and by one year he was running. Trevor was kind, smart, witty, and charismatic. His dark hair and large blue eyes stood out, as did his welcoming smile. He was friendly, outgoing, and inclusive. He was known for his wonderful bear hugs and for torturing people with his ridiculously bad dad jokes, one of his trademarks.
After high school, Trev went to Chico State, majoring in journalism, and finished three-quarters of his classes before stopping. A natural athlete like his father, Craig, who coached many of Trevor’s teams, he was engaged in many sports. He was a great skater and snowboarder, a surfer, rock climber, and downhill biker, and was passionate about hockey. He was on several teams, coached children ages nine to eleven who were new to the game, and refereed adult games.
Christmases were celebrated with Grandparents and birthdays were always a big day. Trevor and his brother Dustin had different interests but loved and supported each other. Trevor was proud of Dusty’s many achievements and doctorate degrees.
Trev was skilled in building and fixing things, thanks to time with his dad, and enjoyed being physical. He built a half pipe for skateboarding on his parents’ two acres and made biking trails with his friends. His welding skills led to a job in Tahoe, at a snowboarding park where he welded pipes and fixed ramps. He also worked at a warehouse providing services to contractors, and in construction.
If there was a crazy jump to make, everyone would look at fearless Trev to check it out first. This was what led to Trevor’s drug use. He skidded out on his road bike; injured and in pain, he took OxyContin someone gave him and he became addicted. When the Oxy ran out, they gave him heroin. When Trevor was in active addiction he felt ashamed and isolated himself. He was in several treatment centers and sober for as long as two years, but would relapse. His mom said, “It was a roller coaster for so many years.”
Trevor wanted to get married and have kids. He had several wonderful girlfriends. His substance use disorder was a deal breaker, though they remained friends. “Trevor hoped to be a dad and would have been a great one. He had a good example from his own father,” his mother, Kerry said.
The family held a Paddle Out, a floating memorial service that takes place for fallen surfers. Over 60 people paddled into the water to share stories about Trevor, with many more watching from the beach. “Whoever thought a kid who grew up the way he did would end up this way?” his mom asked. The system fails people with substance use disorder. If more serious and longer-term treatment was available and subsidized by insurance, Trevor might still be alive.”
Kerry misses his silliness and hugs and being called Mamacita by Trevor. She now has Trevor’s dog, June, a black lab mix, who will soon go live with Dusty. The family and others often visit a memorial on a cliff just above Trev’s favorite surfing spot and leave flowers and memorabilia. Kerry said, “I am learning to live with losing Trevor because there is no other choice. He brought a lot of joy to so many people who loved him.”
Trevor’s mother, Kerry Dennis, provided the information for this narrative.
October 19, 1983- July 2, 2021
Age 37-Lived with the disease of addiction for 10 years
