Loving, protective, funny, family oriented
Jeremy was born into a close-knit family that included his father, William, and step mother Wanda, his mother Melissa and step father Steve. His many siblings include Carol, Christopher, Willa, Christina, Mikey, Niki, Steven, and Brandon. His sister, Carol, remembers the day Jeremy was born. She was five and a bit upset with her mom for leaving to go to the hospital. She also remembers the light blue suit that their dad bought Jeremy for Easter when he was five. “He looked so sharp in that suit,” Carol reminisced.
Jeremy was a protector of his siblings, but also liked to fool with them, often wresting them into submission. Or he messed with them, like the time his sister was driving him to Ohio, before there was GPS to guide them. She asked which way to Columbus, East, or West, and he told her. Before long, she realized it was the wrong way. She was annoyed that he didn’t know his way back to where he was living! It was at Jeremy’s funeral that his little brother told her that Jeremy knew the right way all along!
One summer,, Jeremy stayed with the family. On the drive back to Ohio, they stopped for breakfast. They all got milk, and all were sour, expect for Jeremys. When the family went back to Ohio for Jeremy’s funeral service, they all got breakfast in the hotel. Again, they all got milk and only dads was sour. “That was Jeremy getting us to have a laugh,” Carol mused.
As Jeremy grew older, his passions shifted to shooting pool and fireworks, showcasing his adventurous spirit. He also helped a woman who was a victim of domestic violence by fixing up her home. His greatest joy remained his family, particularly his children, Cameron, Gauge, and Zayd.
Jeremy’s life took a tumultuous turn in his twenties, when his 20-year struggle with substance use disorder started. The disease sometimes brought darkness and violence, leading to incarceration and periods of having no permanent home. Despite this, Jeremy’s family held on to the memories of the man they once knew, the one who made them laugh and feel loved.
Most recently Jeremy got baptized and was in a recovery treatment program in Ohio, “where he found himself again and was working to find his way in life, “Carol stated. He made solid friendships in recovery, a brotherhood with many in the program. After completing his program, Jeremy was able to spend time with his family again in the last year of his life. “Having him with us through the holidays again was truly amazing,” Carol stated. “Jeremy was living proof that recovery is possible if you fight, keep your head high, and keep looking forward. He was an inspiration to us all.” He was looking forward to his first grandson being born.
Carol remembers Jeremy’s smile, Christmas phone calls, talking to him on the phone about God and about how well his recovery was going. But with recovery often comes relapse. Tragically, Jeremy’s struggle with addiction ultimately took his life. The call his family had dreaded for so long finally came, leaving them with an unfillable void. In the aftermath of his passing, Carol began advocating for overdose awareness and fighting the stigma surrounding substance use disorder. She came to understand that addiction is not a choice, but a disease that conceals underlying pain. She encourages anyone in active addiction to love the person, not what the disease has made them.
Jeremy’s sister, Carol Barth, provided the information for this narrative.
July 7, 1978-January 19, 2023-Age 44
Portrait Artist: Clayton Conner
Narrative Writer: Barbara Francois
