Brilliant, loving, energetic, sensitive, cared about people
Jiri was a brilliant, loving and free-spirited individual who had that rare “it” factor. He loved life, loved people, and people loved him. He could talk with anyone, anywhere, about anything and in a meaningful way.
From an early age, Jiri loved nature, animals, water, music and all sports. He took piano lessons from the time he was four. Later he took up bass guitar and played and sang in several bands. He could often be found in water or happily climbing a tree, even into adulthood.
He was a phenomenal downhill ski racer and an accomplished swimmer eventually obtaining certification as a lifeguard. Jiri saved multiple lives applying the skills he learned from his lifeguard training. He was also a certified scuba diver and aspired to become a Master Diver and earn his underwater welding certification.
Jiri lived without regard to social convention; he was present, engaged and encouraging. He was a natural leader and embraced those who were bullied telling them to live life on their own terms and helped them to do it. One of his friends said that without Jiri, he may not have made it through middle school.
Family and friends alike will miss their “go to” guy. He was a helper, a caretaker, always there and ready to help and share his knowledge and gifts. Jiri could figure out how to fix anything and was always calm and competent in any emergency.
Jiri’s family holds many memories of wonderful times camping with him in the mountains and vacationing at Cape Hatteras. They took many trips abroad together and enjoyed other adventures made better by Jiri’s contagious enthusiasm for life. He was a pleasure to be around and he lived an authentic and fulfilling life.
His mother and father invite us all to learn from Jiri’s life; to be empathetic, loving and welcoming to everyone. They are now more humble, compassionate, and more educated on the biology and disease of addiction. They state: “It is important to be less judgmental about addiction and reach out to help others.” In time, they plan to create a foundation in Jiri’s memory to support others who are living with addiction. They want to change lives, just as Jiri did.
Jiri’s mother, Dasha Fletcher, was interviewed for this profile.
November 15, 1994 – August 6, 2018
Age 23
Lived with addiction for 8 years
