Loving, humble, quiet, powerful, gone
Though a quiet soul, Travis had an aura that drew people in. Despite this, he avoided the spotlight—even when it was well-deserved. “Travis was humble,” his mother Joanna said. “When he passed away, so many people told me he had opened his home to them or that he had helped them. But Travis never talked about it or wanted any thanks. It was just who he was.”
In complete contrast to his quiet personality, Travis lived an extremely active life. He was an All-American soccer player in high school, and later enjoyed snowboarding, exercising, hunting, fishing, and even working on a solo skydiving certification. This energy, paired with his desire to serve others, came together in his time as a Navy Corpsman. He served one tour in Afghanistan, earning multiple medals and honors. After being discharged, he remained active in veteran groups and went with his military friends on outdoor excursions. He, along with his mother, Joanna, started a small business that employed disabled veterans and donated a percentage of their profits to various veteran organizations.
Travis became an athlete at the Adaptive Training Foundation, and soon found another way to align his passions for service, activity, and community: by training other adaptive athletes. Joanna recalled a particular time when Travis noticed one man who kept coming to the gym to watch him and his clients working together. He reached out to the man and slowly brought him into the group, encouraging him on his path towards physical and mental health. The man later told Joanna that Travis had saved his life that day by welcoming him into the community.
While he endeavored to always be the rock others could lean on, Travis felt shame sharing his experience with substance use disorder. He hid this part of his life from family and friends. His parents were the only people privy to his struggles, and they balanced their attempts to help him with discretion.
“He tried so hard to quit,” Joanna shared, “but the withdrawals were painful. I watched him slowly become unable to live his life the way he wanted. He was constantly sick and in pain; he had a hard time sleeping and getting out of the house.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic changed everyday life, Travis was isolated from his communities. He had been substance-free for four years, but the loneliness had a devastating effect. He resumed using substances and passed away in September 2020.
“The most difficult thing is that we couldn’t save him,” said Joanna. “We thought loving him and helping him was going to save him, but the addiction is stronger. I understand it is a disease and, while I have empathy for those who are battling it, I have an utter hatred for the drug and for those who manufacture and distribute it. I fear for those who are going to be affected for years to come. Losing a loved one to this is unbearable.”
Joanna fondly remembers that Travis’s favorite dessert—on holidays, birthdays, or any day worth celebrating—was chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream. The night before he passed, he bought her ice cream and a special topping from the store. The topping remains untouched in Joanna’s pantry.
Travis’s mother, Joanna Cox, provided the information for this narrative.
January 20, 1988-September 15, 2020-Age 32
Portrait Artist: Shawn Faust
Narrative Writer: Angela Day
