Adventurous, fiercely loving, kindhearted, funny
Adam held his family close to his heart. He did everything with his parents, Sonya and Robert, and his sisters, Amber and Lyndsay. He loved them fiercely. They often spent time at their lake house boating, fishing, skiing, playing ball—any activity that could bring them closer and make them laugh. He was a proud uncle, and an even prouder father. When his beloved daughter Addelyn was born, he knew that his life had changed forever.
“Nothing in this world mattered to him more than his baby girl, Addie,” his mother-in-law, Misty, shared. “Being her dad was the role he took on most proudly. She was his whole world. From the moment he knew he would be a dad, this became his passion and priority in life.” He and Addie were two peas in a pod. They were always dancing, singing, playing, and making silly videos together.
With a laugh you could hear before you even saw him, Adam was impossible to miss. He was even more impossible to dislike. A storyteller and a jokester, he was the heart of every gathering. One of Adam’s favorite holidays was Thanksgiving. He would talk about what he planned to eat weeks in advance, his excitement growing each day. Thanksgiving was perfect because it combined the things he loved most: family, friends, and good food.
“What I remember most wasn’t just the fun; it was how deeply he loved,” Misty said. “If you were his person, you knew it. He loved hard and without hesitation. Any time spent in Adam’s presence is a fond memory. Being with him meant laughing, feeling loved, seeing random dance moves, making silly videos, getting big hugs, and hearing ‘I love you.’”
Adam’s experience with substance use shifted his priorities away from the people who had always been most important to him. Misty recalled feeling hopeless as she and Adam’s family watched him suffer despite doing everything they could to help him. When Adam died, he left behind a life that he cherished—he made decisions he never would have made without the overwhelming influence of addiction.
“Prior to living through this, I used to think it was so easy for someone to decide to just stop,” Misty said. “I now know that is the farthest from the truth. He would never have done anything to hurt Addie or not be here for her if it weren’t for this disease. He would never have chosen for his life to go this way. I have learned not to shame someone when they are going through a tough time. I do not pass judgment as I probably did, and I have learned to love with compassion and understanding.”
Misty misses Adam’s infectious laugh, his big smile, his warm hugs, and the way he loved those dearest to him. Though he had separated from Addie’s mother, Summer, they remained close as co-parents. Since his death, Summer has been on the path to recovery—a path that Misty is sure Adam is guiding.
Adam’s mother-in-law, Misty Tyler, provided the information for this narrative.
August 2, 1994–March 5, 2022–Age 27
Portrait Artist: Jeremy Hebbel
Narrative Writer: Angela Day
