Compassionate, caring, blue-eyed boy
Chris LePage, the kind and loving young man with endless laughter and hugs, lit up the world with his presence. He believed in the underdog, cared deeply for his mother and siblings, and was selfless and considerate. Even when it might mean trouble, he took pride in helping others above himself. Looking out for his twin sister, giving his best advice in times of need, and lending a hand without qualm were all qualities that Chris carried.
Chris was at home at the beach. He would “ride the waves,” as his mother Maria describes, and found immense joy burying his sister in the sand. Basketball and music were two of his favorite hobbies. Chris never had trouble finding work, and always had a job, usually in food and service positions. He could be counted on to come up big when he needed to. In middle school, he made the game-winning basket from half-court, and he finished his high school education because it was important to his mother.
A particular story illustrating Chris’s priorities has become a perennial favorite in his family. One Christmas, Chris was on the phone with relatives while trying to buy a car. His relatives advised Chris to ask about the car’s features and performance. All Chris cared about was the sound system, asking the salesmen one essential question: “But does it bump?” Ever since, it’s become a favorite family phrase.
Substance misuse started in his early teens. In his final year, Chris was introduced to fentanyl by a former flame. Even as substance use disorder took hold, he did his best to maintain his respectful, kind nature. Despite occasional outbursts and fights with his mother, Maria, he’d always tell her, “You know I love you, Mom.” She compares the worst years to a roller coaster, chaotic and unpredictable. Even in the throes of misuse, he never stopped caring and trying. In April of 2023, after seven years of a mother’s watchful worry over a flickering candle, Chris’s light faded to black.
His hugs, his smile, his laugh, and his potential live on in the hearts of those who loved him. On what would’ve been Chris’s 24th birthday, his twin sister gifted him a book, his biography, written with love and reverence. He was more than his substance use disorder, and his unique, kind, and loving nature is worthy of remembrance. Friends of Chris’s tell stories of his encouragement during their wellness journeys. As an organ donor, he single-handedly saved four lives.
Though saddled with everlasting grief, Chris’s sister finds purpose in advocating at national and local levels, and his mother holds all her memories of her son dear. Maria now believes, “It can happen to anyone, and that is truly a disease. We do not need to judge anyone or define them for their disease.”
Christopher’s mother, Maria LePage, provided the information for this narrative.
September 23, 2001–April 10, 2023–Age 21
Portrait Artist: Jeremy Hebbel
Narrative Writer: Jill Marie Denton
