Exuberant, sentimental, joyful, loving, fearless
Since the day Jacob was born, he was loved and adored by all. He was a sweet, adorable ball of energy with a magnetic personality, traits he carried through his entire life. He was very kind and affectionate and loved caring for his friends and loved ones. He was extremely passionate about his family and living life in the moment. His mother Geralyn recalls he was never afraid to go after what he wanted and that he had a genuine zeal for life.
Growing up, Jacob struggled in school because of his ADHD and had a hard time in structured learning environments, but he excelled at art, writing, and music. Throughout his younger years, he painted, drew, played drums and keyboard, and filled journals with his writing. As a teenager, he was prescribed Ritalin and Adderall. This helped him to graduate high school but eventually led to depression, so he stopped taking them. Eventually, Jacob got a medical marijuana card, which seemed to help regulate his moods.
Jacob loved making people laugh and spreading joy and positivity. He would pull pranks at school or give genuine advice and motivation to friends in his life who were struggling. His mother recalls the times he would break out in song and dance just for fun, or do silly things to make people laugh. “He was never afraid to just be himself,” said Geralyn. He enjoyed spending time with his friends at the beach, riding ATVs, hiking, snowboarding, and genuinely enjoying life. He also really loved cooking and creating new recipes for his loved ones to try.
At the age of 22 Jacob moved to Oklahoma with some friends to open a CBD dispensary, his biggest accomplishment in life. He loved the idea of making edibles to help animals and people. He was passionate about tinctures (concentrated herbal extracts) and how he could make them work together to create medicinal products to help save lives. Before his passing, he was designing a laboratory for the CBD dispensary and was looking into recipes for different products he hadn’t tried yet. He was also looking forward to raising bees so he could make herbal honey products.
One of Jacob’s biggest goals in life was to buy his family home in California, where he planned to raise his family. He wanted to support his family and allow his parents to retire early so he could provide for them. He was extremely close with his family and, as a lover of tradition, always came home for holidays, birthdays, and annual camping trips.
Jacob had anxiety, which was worsened by the pandemic, and he was self-medicating with Xanax that he bought on the streets. Unfortunately, some of it was laced with fentanyl which led to his untimely death. His mother says that his death has made her an advocate for awareness and de-stigmatizing drug use. She has spoken at town hall meetings, talked to youth groups, and given interviews to raise awareness. She has also planted a memory garden in Jacob’s honor and founded a scholarship for kids who are at-risk or who have learning disabilities. Geralyn says what she misses most about Jacob is his energy, loving nature, and laughter, which now live on in the hearts and memories of all that loved him.
Jacob’s mother, Geralyn Vasquez, provided the information for this narrative.
August 21, 1996 – November 28, 2020
Age 24-Lived with the disease of addiction for three years.
