Charismatic, funny, loving, smart, troubled
Jeremy is described by his mother, Denise, as naturally bright, funny, and full of personality. “Jeremy was always super smart,” she said. “He was funny and handsome.” The middle of three boys, Jeremy grew up in Georgia with his brothers, Jonathan and Ethan and shared a close bond with his family. Denise recalls his humor starting at an early age. When he was very young, and making up tales, she told him the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf and asked if he understood the lesson. Jeremy responded, “When I get big, I am not working around wolves.”
Jeremy loved being outdoors. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, riding four-wheelers, skateboarding, and spending time with close friends. He played football and baseball and spent years skateboarding. Family vacations to the beach were a regular tradition. Jeremy and his older brother, Jonathan, loved catching fish, feeding them to seagulls, and digging holes in the sand.
Known for making people laugh and making friends easily, Jeremy would entertain guests with unusual physical tricks, including laying on his stomach and bending his legs up and backward, and popping his knee in and out.
Jeremy worked in pipeline construction, laying different kinds of pipe. He was described as a hard worker who could run equipment, work on things, and figure out how things worked. One accomplishment he was proud of was helping lay the pipe underneath the new skate park in Newnan. Before it opened, he took his mother there to show her what he had worked on.
Jeremy met his eventual wife, Angel, in middle school when he was in eighth grade and she was in seventh. Though they later divorced, Angel was the mother of his three sons: Evan, 19, Cale, 14, and Jett, now 8. Jeremy loved spending time with his boys, especially taking them fishing, hunting, and outdoors.
In recent years, Jeremy was happiest spending time with his children, family, and friends, including his best friend, Nate. He cared for people and often helped them out. He enjoyed being outside and did not need much to be content. His mother said, “He was happy with what he had.”
One memory his mother cherishes is when Jeremy found an injured possum in the woods near their home. After putting the animal out of its misery, he discovered her babies and brought them home so they could be taken to a nature center for recovery.
Jeremy lived with substance use disorder on and off for more than 10 years after becoming addicted to pain pills. His mother shared that addiction changed him and their relationship. “When he got addicted to pain pills, that’s all he cared about. He couldn’t stop or he would be so sick. Addiction makes people look similar but changes who they are inside.”
Denise feels “forever heartbroken and sad,” which Jeremy would not want for her and his sons. She misses “his beautiful perfect face” and his voice. She also misses seeing him with his boys, doing the things they all loved together.
Jeremy’s mother, Denise Thompson, provided the information for this narrative.
October 1, 1988–August 29, 2021-Age 32
Portrait Artist: Clayton Conner
Narrative Writer: Barbara Francois
