Jason was the oldest child in our family. Jason loved spending time outside. When he was a little boy, we bought a little cabin close to a lake in Southeast Missouri. That was his happy place. He spent many weekends there, camping out in the woods, and fishing in the lake with family and friends in every season of the year. Or, during the summer, he enjoyed boating on the lake. Jason was an expert boater, a trained lifeguard, an Eagle Scout, an excellent marksman who enjoyed hunting, and found his greatest joy in sitting around the campfire sharing a good story and laughter with family and friends.
Of course, any get together with Jason would involve music and maybe a conversation about classic cars. Jason was legendary among his oldest and dearest friends for turning them onto classic rock, especially the Beatles and Tom Petty, which he was very passionate about, from a very young age. He was the only twelve-year-old we knew who could drive a Model T. We can thank his Grandpa for that!
Jason lived a very full life in his 21 years. (He died two weeks before his 21st birthday.) He attracted friends of all ages with his wide interests and big heart. Jason was in the electrician’s apprenticeship program at the time of his death, and he was really looking forward to his future as a union electrician.
Jason was a hero in life. In high school, he saved a friend’s life in the cafeteria. For that was given the Red Cross Youth Good Samaritan of the Year award. While we are grieving the loss of our son and brother, we want everyone to know MOST OF ALL that Jason’s gift of organ and tissue donation has been, hands down, the single most comforting aspect of this tragedy. He will always be our HERO.
