Resilient, strong, funny, loved, stubborn
Terry was a devoted father. His children—Taryn, Hannah, Brandon, Tanner, Taylor, Caiden, and Teven—were his greatest pride. He was also a brother to Chad and Bob Levesque, and the son of Michael Levesque. His mother, Cyndi was heartbroken when Terry passed, they were best friends. She passed after Terry. Taryn said: “I am sure Terry was there with open arms when she got there and they are probably dancing in heaven together.”
Terry loved spending time with his family. He enjoyed traveling when he could and was a devoted Kansas City Chiefs fan. After a serious fall off a roof that left him paralyzed from the waist down, many of the things he once loved became harder to do, but he remained connected to the people he cared about most. Family traditions, like the kids playfully pushing their faces into birthday cakes, were part of what made time together special and fun.
He was known for his ability to make people laugh and smile. He had a playful, gentle side that showed in small moments, like building igloo forts for his children in the winter or sending milk-carton boats down a stream with notes inside for Alice in Wonderland. Terry also dreamed of one day living off the land, which he called “Alaska livin’, kiddo.”
Terry was a skilled roofer, logger, and woodworker, and he had a love for cutting hair. He hoped to one day become a barber. Terry was married to Rose, and they had children together, and he also stuck by his high school sweetheart, Jenn, the mother of three of his children.
When Terry was in recovery, he was deeply involved in helping others. While living in a sober house, he spoke at meetings and at the local detox center, encouraging people to believe that recovery was possible. He received his one-year coin just six months before his relapse. He also helped create a fatherhood program in the Berkshires with his sponsor, Frank Busner.
Those who loved Terry saw how addiction changed him. When he was well, he was funny, kind, and full of life. When he was struggling, the disease took over, and he was no longer himself.
Terry’s death was traumatic for his family. His daughter Taryn found him and tried to save him, and then had to tell her younger siblings that their father was gone. His loss continues to shape their lives even now, and Taryn misses the ability to hear his laugh and to call on him when she needs him.
Taryn now lives in recovery herself. She has been sober for ten years and is raising two children. Her father’s life and death changed how she sees addiction, and she now speaks openly to help others understand how powerful and devastating the disease can be—and that it is possible to survive it. She said, “A craving only lasts about eight seconds, if you can make it eight seconds- you can make it!!”
Terry’s daughter, Taryn, provided the information for this narrative
June 14, 1976 – September 7, 2016-Age 40
Portrait Artist: Clayton Conner
Narrative Writer: Barbara Francois
