From Evan Mathews Family –
In memory of Evan Mathews, the Mathews and Miner Family are supporting Camp Mariposa-Aaron’s Place by sponsoring two campers all year and the contents of all 30 backpacks.
I read somewhere that life is like a book with many chapters that are shaped by our own personal journey on this earth. My book has many chapters, but with 2 distinct parts separated by November 29, 2019. This is the day we lost our son, Evan, to an accidental overdose of Fentanyl at the age of 22, just 3 days before his 23rd birthday.
The guilt, pain, and sadness that we all feel may never quite go away, but my faith tells me there are more chapters to be written on this earth and beyond. Evan was kind, funny, creative, and adventurous. I miss our conversations about movies and tv series, especially since his critiques were usually spot-on. I miss his adventures with food because he would try anything….and I mean anything! In fact, he is the reason why I love sushi, Thai, and Indian food. Evan loved animals and I know that Bella, Charlotte, Oliver, Lucy, Marley, and Fin all miss him.
Tragedy always brings out the good in people too. We are so blessed to have family, friends, and coworkers that supported us, and continue to support us as we continue to grieve. The support has come in many ways including incredibly generous donations to help other people with addictions, a shoulder to cry on, or an ear to listen to us share stories about Evan or talk through our feelings. The sheer amount of people that attended his funeral or reached out to us for support is a testament to how much Evan was loved.
I’m most grateful for my wife, Tera; Evan’s mom, Jennifer; and Evan’s stepfather, Erik. The journey with Evan brought us closer together. We learned to co-parent better, and I’m convinced that we got many more years with Evan because we worked together as a family unit.
We love you, Evan, and your laugh and warm spirit will always be with us.