Loyal, adventurous, curious, funny, thoughtful
When Zach was four, he made up his mind and was determined to shed his bike’s training wheels. After several hours, he mastered “the going” part, but not quite “the stopping.” He crashed, knocking his front teeth in. His father, Mike, called the dentist, who asked Mike to try moving the teeth back into position, but by then, Zach had already fixed them himself. His mother, Ann, received a call from Zach who proudly reported: “Mommy, I crashed my bike and broke my teeth, but they’re fine now!”
Though concerned, Ann was unsurprised: Zach had always been a free spirit. With his younger sister, Kate, he ran through their neighborhood, grilled cheese sandwiches on “buddy burners,” caught frogs, and hunted for mushrooms. One of Kate’s dearest memories of Zach is the day they rescued kingfisher chicks that had fallen into the creek. They carried the chicks back to the house despite their pecking, and warmed them under a lamp. Beneath his wild sense of adventure was a genuine tenderness.
Zach’s passions included skateboarding, boxing, and MMA fighting. He was musically gifted. He had a fabulous sense of humor and loved to make people laugh. He cherished his friends and celebrated their differences, often debating life philosophies with them. Zach studied for some time at Drake University, before returning to Iowa City to work and consider his future goals. He worked at Iowa River Power Company as a cook in a supportive environment that further extended his family. He dreamed of designing and building skate parks. Ann feels his truest talent, however, was nurturing relationships. “He often helped me think through interpersonal conflicts, and always gave such sage advice,” she said. “I feel his greatest life accomplishment was the cultivation of relationships in our community.”
Zach valued family in the broadest sense: both sets of grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins, his beloved sister, parents of close friends and dear neighbors. So many beautiful people helped shape his young life.
Zach’s family is unsure how long he suffered with SUD, but shortly before his death, noticed he had become quieter and withdrawn. He lived at home for a time. Ann reflects: “We often met in the early morning. I would be having coffee before work, and he would be coming home from late nights. That was when we talked about life. I miss those conversations very much.”
When Ann sees Zach’s photos and videos, she is comforted to never forget how he moved or sounded but grieves over possibly forgetting his scent or the feel of his embrace. She recalls words of a family friend following Zach’s passing: “Life is fragile, unpredictable, and cruel, whereas a parent’s love is unwavering and eternal. It is this stark incompatibility that sets the stage for our most devastating sufferings.”
Zach’s struggle with SUD made her realize that this disease can affect anyone, that “it wasn’t limited to other people in faraway places. I’m grateful for the broader perspective, though the price was very high. I speak for Mike and Kate in saying that Zach’s parting gift to us was access to some very special people whose love and support continue to keep us afloat today.”
Ann devotes her professional life to working with people with SUD, helping dismantle stigma and increase access to care. “I know I cannot save lives directly, but I can help create a path for someone seeking a healthier life.”
Zach’s parents and sister, Ann, Mike, and Kate Aschoff, provided the information for this narrative.
January 27, 1989-February 27, 2016-Age 27
Portrait Artist: Elizabeth Jones
Narrative Writer: Angela Day
