The strongest person I knew
Justin’s struggles started early; his mental health began to spiral at just eight years old. He was diagnosed early in his teen years with bipolar disorder. While his mental health was an enduring challenge, it also gave Justin a unique ability to connect with and support others through their own struggles. In fifth grade, one of his classmates locked himself in the bathroom and refused to come out. It was Justin, and only Justin, who could soothe the anxious child and eventually persuade him to unlock the door.
Justin was beloved amongst his friends and family; his laugh, sense of humor, and extensive knowledge endeared him to countless people in his community. He lovingly considered his closest friends to be “adopted” siblings. Chris, Justin’s dad, said that his son was his best friend. His brother Tyler deeply cherished his younger brother, endearingly referring to him as “his baby.” Corey Duclos was also a dear friend throughout Justin’s life. His aunt, Kathy, fondly remembers late night phone calls with her nephew in which Justin described in detail his inner world.
Anything automobile-related brought Justin immense joy. He loved auto shows, cars, and working on his own vehicles. He read extensively on a wide variety of topics, but information about cars was where he truly shined.
Despite Justin’s sharp and curious mind, school was always a difficult place for him. The education system simply did not accommodate Justin’s needs. Not only did it fail him, but so did all of the other systems meant to support him–mental health care services, law enforcement, social services and the court systems misunderstood and misplaced Justin at every turn. Justin dreamed of someday opening his own marijuana farm once it was legalized in Vermont, but was largely not able to conceptualize the future because of the intensity of his day-to-day struggle with his mental health.
After witnessing the devastating failure of community infrastructure to support Justin, his mother Margie Lemay transitioned into a new job at the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Vermont (NAMI). There, she became a passionate advocate for individuals facing substance use and mental health crises. Just a week after her son’s passing she testified at the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. She asked the committee to help re-design the social systems that do not efficiently or adequately serve those that need it most.
Justin did not want his life to end. He was seeking relief from his mental pain in a world where the systems offered little respite. His parents poured all of their love, resources, and energy into supporting him, but in the end, Justin was a prisoner of his mental illness and substance use disorder. He is remembered with deep love, and his story remains a call to action for a more compassionate and responsive world.
Justin’s Aunt and Mother, Kathleen Kilbourne and Margie Lemay, provided the information for this narrative
October 11, 1991-January 24, 2023-Age 31
Portrait Artist: Carol Meckling
Narrative Writer: Livia Cohen
