November 22, 1957 ~~ February 12, 2001
He ADHD before they gave it a name, He was always told he was Lazy or a Problem child. Hindsight being 20/20 he was probably Bipolar as well. Johnny started drinking and taking drugs at around the age of 12. He met and married his High School sweetheart when he was 16 and she was 14 they were married for 25 years. If not for her my brother I think would have left before he did either by accident or maybe trying to get drugs. She was so strong and protective of her man..about 8 years before his death Johnny entered himself in a methadone clinic and never stopped taking the S*** until the October before his death.
Then and only then during his recovery did he let my SIL tell his family about the H** they had been thru..He always told her "if You tell them I will....". To Johnny that stuff was his "legal high" so in his mind nobody could tell him anything.
You see Johnny had found God and went through the 12 steps. All excoet the last one he had to complete but that was the hardest for him. He had to forgive our fatherfor what had happened to him and to me all those years ago.
That's when me and Johnny became so very close because I was his ear or so I thought. He thought God would be mad at him because he couldn't take that 12th step.I remember telling him,"Johhny, God loves you even if you didn't do the last step. Besides you did 11 1/2 I think cause you tried didn't you?"
Our father had placed conditions on that last step. He told him he had to forgive him in front of his children! I couldn't have done that either. He (our father) had done wrong NOT my borther! To Johnny it was like if I could accept his not being able to do it, then it was OK. We got so close after that.
Johnny and Me had the best Months together..he was in Florida but We talked almost everyday..we had become friends not just siblings..He was Supporting Me..my cheerlearder helping me with my divorce/health issues (MS) and my low self esteem. I hada even made reservations for my daughter Joni and I to visit him in the spring. Instead of traveling for vacation I went to his funeral.
The pain and hurt without the drugs was too much for Him to bear..He told his wife after kicking the drugs (methadone) "if I ever feel I need that stuff again..I would rather die and He did"...Johnny left a beautiful wife and 2 children 21 and 16, me and another sister..my middle sister died 6/96 of cancer and my parents and cousins nieces and nephews.
