This memorial website was created in the memory of my beautiful son, Joey Taylor, who was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on April 08, 1983 and passed away on September 19, 2005 at the age of 22. 

Joey was an exceptional person who was well-liked by everyone. He was always smiling! He was one of the most unselfish people I have ever known. He gave freely of his time to anyone in need, from taking care of his grandmother, to assembling furniture for Carla, to accompanying me to the vet with the dogs. He seldom complained about anything. He has taught me many lessons about how to be a good person and what is truly important in life. He was a very generous person. Joey had an easy-going personality and was very open and friendly. He could talk to anyone, anytime, with ease. Just his presence made people happy. He was a unique person who followed his own path. He wasn't afraid to be different. He tap-danced for years and was very good. I still remember seeing him practicing time-steps while playing 1st base during a pitching change. He loved baseball and was a great pitcher. He was very cool and composed during stressful games. He also played ice hockey which he loved. His hands would smell so bad after wearing those gloves and he liked to put the vent on in the car, aim it at my face, and put his hands in front of it while driving home after the game. Gross! Now I sniff those damn gloves. Joe also was a talented musician and poet. He played the guitar well and wrote beautiful songs. He loved going to concerts, and Bonaroo was his favorite. He was a good student when he wanted to be. Joey had a way with animals. He empathized with them and was gentle and kind. He often "saved" bugs found in the house, although spiders were avoided at all cost. We shared a love of nature and spent a lot of time outdoors. He would often notice the little things that most people would overlook. Fall was his favorite season and, sadly, his funeral was held on the first day of autumn.   

Sometime in high school drugs came into his life. I don't know the complete timeline, but I know Oxycontin became Heroin as his choice. As I said at his funeral, whoever was with him when he did heroin for the first time witnessed the beginning of the end of his life. Heroin consumed him. It consumed our family. He suffered so much  and I was powerless to help. He was so sick, so often. His appearance changed. He lied and all trust was lost. I know this devastated him inside because this was the total opposite of who he truly was. He made promises, had big plans to get clean and make a life and he truly meant it. Then heroin would seduce him again and it would start all over. My heart broke for my son as he lost friends and family because of his addiction. His friends moved on with their lives and he was stuck in heroin hell. I wanted to take him and run, but where? Another planet? Ironically, the end came for him after being clean for 7 months. He had a job he loved, his good friends had come back into his life, and things were finally looking up. One Sunday night, he went out after work, and brought the devil back into our house. While I was sleeping, he was dying. What a terrible loss to the world.  I have lost my best friend. 

He has left behind a legacy with lessons to learn. He has taught, and still teaches me, patience, compassion, and love. I hope he is teaching others about the huge effect one terrible decision can have on their life, and the lives of those they love. Please see the addiction pages in his legacy on this site.

Finally, I wrote about Joey in the past tense, but I don't feel comfortable with that. I do believe he still IS, and he is reading these words as I am typing them. So, in that case, I'll say...Joey, I love you more than you can imagine, I miss your physical presence here with me. I thank you for being my son and giving me the best years of my life. You truly are my greatest gift. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

A life so young
released to heaven...

Left on earth
We wonder "Why?"

But some are sent
Among us briefly...

Some have spirits
Meant to fly!