The National Addiction Memorial honors the loved ones we’ve lost.

Emelie was a beautiful young woman that loved with her whole heart and gave of herself. She was so sensitive and kind to others . She was a nurse and cared so much for others, especially those in need of comfort. She reached out to friends in need .

Emelie would especially reach out to the under dogs and protected those she cared about with her whole being. She would find friends that needed her. They were often bad influences. She was lead down a destructive path in doing so many times. When Emelie was in the throws of her mental anger and pain and not living at home I went to pick her up from a friend's and she cried to me saying how sorry she was for all she had done.😢 💔.

Her fun and creativity side ! Emelie would make soap and crafty ornaments with her children to give as gifts for Christmas. She was such a good and loving mother to her 4 children and would do things with them outdoors in her garden. She would let her kids play in mud and get dirty. She never complained about life or any of her pregnancies. She even was willing to surrogate for her Aunt at one time. She was a natural caregiver and lover of children, pets, natural beauty around her.

Emelie would like to be remembered as a very loving and caring person who did not judge others for where the lived or what their family was like. Emelie wanted people to accept and care about each other. Be a friend to one another. She didn't care about money or fancy stuff. She loved to create and repurpose things. She loved thrift stores and old stuff. She loved singing and music. Emelie specially loved her children and her brother's along with all family members ❤️

Dave was an amazing man. He spoke to his parents regularly, rekindled his relationships with his children, & worked hard to build a life for his family. There isn’t enough space here to describe him. He’s missed by so many.

My favorite memories are when we met, our wedding, the birth of our son, his enthusiasm when the Bills played, mowing the lawn at 6am, camping, the beach, and everything in between.

I miss the way I felt at home, and safe with him. The way he was with our son, the way we helped to complete the other. Life isn’t and never will be the same without him here. We’re in the 2nd year, everything has changed. But there still has not been one day that has gone by where I haven’t thought of him and missed him.

I’d imagine he’d like to be remembered by all of his amazing qualities; his good work ethic, his dedication to college and his family. Dave was very active in the recovery community as well as a huge Buffalo Bills fan.
He wouldn’t want us to be sad or cry, but instead to remember the good times, and to continue talking about him to keep his memory alive.

“Go Bills”

She was everything the air I breathed. She had so much time ahead of her, unfair her time ended

They say I met her at her place of employment

Everything

They did what they wanted

She was so hard headed. Believe everything someone said

Ben was a beautiful human being who lost his life to addiction. He began this battle when only about 15 years old. He never gave up this fight, but in the end he lost at age 33. His loss is deeply grieved. The world is less without him.

Ben loved to play with his little sisters. He taught his little sister how to snowboard, and he always wanted the family to go on vacations together...snowboarding, to a lake or ocean in the summer. I loved to watch him skateboard. He moved so gracefully and was so healthy and perfectly proportioned Everyone loved Ben, he had a big heart and a gentle soul. He suffered because he wanted so much to be better, but over time the struggle wore him down. I believe on one level he gave up.

His smile and his hug..."don't worry mom, I'll be ok"....

In good health, in good spirits, loving his friends and family, gliding down a mountain or on a skateboard, doodling in a sketchbook, meditating, laughing with friends...

My Tara was a sweet giving toddler, teen, and a woman

She had a certain look when she was perplexed but she had a beautiful smile

She is known to be a great mother to Nyjah, a wonderful best friend to her sister Trina, a loving Aunt to Eboni, a beautiful daughter, and a caring, giving woman to all

My son struggled for years trying to battle demons

Laughing and shopping was our favorite pastime. Along with pranking people

His smile and facial expressions

As a rockstar!

Jamie was a purely kind and generous soul who had most recently found his calling as an EMT and medical scribe. At the time of his death, he was in the process of applying to med school.

A “New Yorker”–caliber editor when we met in February 2002, Jamie was hyperintellectual with a crackling wit. Often bedecked in a bow tie and always bespectacled, he was a debonairly charming man. Jamie was my most precious friend and a big brother. Of his myriad talents, he wrote beautifully. He taught me how to copy edit—and how to love unconditionally.

When Jamie began to realize his best self—and he did on so many occasions, for extended periods of time—it was only a close second to realizing mine.

Per his request, I scattered Jamie’s ashes on the Hudson River upstate. You can remember him any- and everywhere the most brilliant light boogies down on the surface of the water.

Jeff had a heart of gold, he would help anyone if he could, he was totally fearless, with a one of a kind sense of humor, he was a loving son, brother & father to his 3 daughters, often known as the life of the party. Gone, but never forgotten.

My Dad was protective, loving & caring. My favorite memory of him would have to be, being able to talk to my Dad about anything without any judgement & the advice he would give me. It didn’t matter what it was, he always gave me the best advice he could. It always seemed like he had the answers to everything. His loyalty to his family & friends was truly unmatched.

I will miss his advice, his witty personality, his goofy sense of humor & his laugh the most. My Dad was truly one of a kind.

I think my Dad would like to be remembered not by his struggles, but by his loving nature & his strength. My Dad never gave up, he struggled with addiction & no matter how hard it got he always got back up and tried his best & to me I think that shows real strength. I love you dad I will miss you forever

Bernard was the calmest most patient cool calm and collected person I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. He was a man of peace and stature. He was a man of love. A gifted man who knew God

I will miss his consistency. The presence of power in his eyes

He would like to be remembered as a man of faith who loved God

Riley was my nephew, but he was my baby, he loved fishing, hunting, playing sports and he loved life.

Watching him play football, when he got his first deer, turkey, duck. I never missed anything that he did.

I will miss hearing him call me NeeNee and being with me.

Riley would want everyone to remember he loved his family. He was one of a kind.

Riley had a heart of gold. He was baptized in January of 2023. He loved hunting and fishing and excelled at any sport he played. Riley is #forever20

Kelsey was an old soul who loved with her entire being. She always stuck up for the underdog. She was sassy, spoke her mind and told you the truth. She was intelligent, witty and persevered through the hardest times. She loved her son so very much.

Every memory is my favorite because that’s all I have now. She loved to eat chips and dip by the spoonfuls as a kid. She loved camping and trips to California and loved to make other people smile and laugh by being a total goofball. When she laughed you couldn’t help but join in. The day her son was born was the happiest day of her life. She said she found her purpose and loved him with every fiber of her being.

Everything. I miss everything about her. Her smile, her laughter, her hugs, her messy bedroom, her towels on the floor, her makeup all over my bathroom, her hair extensions in my sink, hair dye spilling on my cabinets, her ability to forgive, her touch, her eyes, her being a daredevil and one of the boys, her grace, her beauty, her touch, her smell…but if I had to name one…it would be watching her raise her son and seeing what an incredible human being she created. That’s what I miss the most.

Kelsey would want to be remembered as a loving mother to her son, a daughter, a sister, a granddaughter, a niece, a cousin, and a devoted friend. She would want people to remember her as a human being who had a family that loved her to infinity and beyond and misses her with every breath they take…not as another statistic. Remember her smile, her kindness, her selflessness, her humor, her beauty both inside and out and how she made you laugh. Remember all the fun, and her everlasting light .

My son was a wonderful person gifted with the ability to meet anyone, talk to anyone. He had a zest for life and liked to tease friends and family. When he wasn’t suffering from a bout of depression and anxiety, coupled with binging on drugs he tried to help others going to AA by giving them rides to mtgs, some work for those getting out of rehab. He was a special person who love me, his mother, and his sons deeply.

My favorite memory of Chris was his big smile and hugs and always telling me I was the greatest Mom.

His hugs and his smile.

As loving his family dearly.

The biggest supporter to everyone he loved.

She was a giant pain in my butt! A pretty good sister, a great aunt! A mom, a good friend. A lot crazy!! But if you were one of her people she loved you with her whole ❤️

I miss her little voice saying my name, her smile, mostly I miss My Little sister

She would want to be remember as a great hearted woman, a loyal person, a great Aunt and sister. And loved by her children.