Faithful, persistent, athletic, handsome, brilliant, loved nature
When asked about August, his mother, Sharon, said this: “Auggie was a force to be reckoned with on this planet. He was compassionate and kind and loved his family very much. He was also quiet and thoughtful and always ready for a joke.”
The oldest of five children, Auggie was born with a congenital birth defect; two club feet. He was often in pain, though it didn’t stop him from biking, hiking and waterskiing. He loved spending time with his siblings, Rose, Owen, Jack, and Lucy. Lucy, who is blind and severely disabled with cerebral palsy, laughed when Auggie pushed her fast in her wheelchair.
The entire family was close and loved having adventures together. They rode horses through Costa Rica, visited Maui and hiked in the Cascade and Olympic mountains. Auggie also loved rollercoasters, driving cars fast, fishing in the waters of Martha’s Vineyards sound, skiing in the Cascades and waterskiing in front of his grandparents’ house in Dash Point.
Auggie tried to go to college after graduating from high school. He wanted to be a mental health clinician or study criminal justice, psychology, and education; maybe become a detective or special education teacher. He attended several colleges, but when he overdosed, he was asked to leave. Just before he died, he was ready to start Worcester State, but never got to do so.
His parents, Bill, and Sharon, married for thirty years, never gave up on Auggie. He was in and out of detox and treatment centers over 37 times in the last eight years of his life. He wanted to get better and kept trying. Auggie always knew he was welcome to come live at home after six months of sobriety, but it was risky because his parents feared the many things that come along with the disease of addiction. They had to put boundaries and requirements in place for the sake of their other minor children. They especially feared the trauma of a potentially lethal drug overdose or poisoning in their home and how that would affect his siblings.
His parents couldn’t sleep thinking about him, police came to the house for years. There was detox, treatment, hospitals, doctors, colleges, court cases, sober living homes and more. Calls came at all hours, and a sense of panic was always present. They held the line, often wondering if it was the right thing to do. “I feel a hole and an emptiness and sadness that we could not save him,” Sharon stated. I love him so much and feel like I failed. I tried everything and never gave up, but he is no longer here and I am, with a deep sadness.”
“We decided to tell the truth in his obituary,” his mother said. “We listed the cause of death as substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health.” The family lives on a tiny island and Sharon is a special education teacher at the local school. Despite the risk of potential stigma and judgement of their family, they speak out about SUD, to bring awareness to the issue and the fact that it can affect any family.
Even to his last day, Auggie was trying to get out of addiction. Because he was relapsing, he called to get back into a detox center. They came to pick him up and called and called. His phone, in his pocket, was answered by a nurse in the E.R. It was too late.
August’s mother, Sharon Engler, provided the information for this narrative.
September 13,1998-January 23, 2024-Age 25
Portrait Artist: Theresa Clower
Narrative Writer: Barbara Francois
