In Loving Memory of Adam H. Janitz

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In Loving Memory of
Adam H. Janitz
July 19, 1984 - December 12, 2006

Adam was an amazing young man. He had so much life to live, that was shortened on December 12 2006.
He had a momma who loved him unconditionally.

This picture is Adam and his momma. That's what he always called me, he loved me so.

This next picture is Adam's father(step father), but he raised him and loved him without question, so he is his father.

These are two beautiful and loving gifts for Angel Adam from my dear friend, Carol, mom to Angel Michael.

Adam had a big sister Heather, who loved him like a second mother.

This picture with them sleeping is Adam with his big sister Heather.

In this picture, the 3 people are Adam, Heather, and Noah.

Adam had his brother in-law Noah. Who took the in-law out
because he was like a brother to him. Noah treated Adam like his little brother.

These 2 pictures are of little nephew Wyatt, who will miss his Uncle Adam.

Sadly, Adam will never know his little cousins. Little sister Barbara who will forever miss her big brother's advice.

This is Adam, Barbara and Dad.

Adam playing video games with little brother Kevin who will miss the trips to the park and visits from his big brother Adam to play games with him.
He misses Adam so, most of the time he is unable to express how he really feels. Our whole house will never be the same.

Adam would love to be an angel to watch over all the little angels. He loved children, and he was very good with them.
He has an 8 year old brother who misses him so much, Adam as big as he was he always made time for his little brother, and his whole family.

Here is his last birthday, this is Adam, Little Kevin and Heather, with Adam's birthday cake. We all went to Lake George and his birthday was while we were there so we celebrated, we had a wonderful time, all the family sitting by the fire exchanging old memories, he turned 22 that summer.

Adam again with his birthday cake, and his little brother Kevin.

Adam kissing his little brother Kevin.

We never know what life will bring so cherish every moment you get to spend with a loved one. I'M STILL A MOM

Momma and Adam.

I DIDN'T HAVE TO LOOK INTO YOUR EYES TO FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU.I DIDN'T NEED TO HEAR YOU CRY.
TO KNOW THAT YOU LOVED ME TOO. I DIDN'T NEED TO HOLD YOUR HAND TO CHERISH YOU FOR ALWAYS.
WITHIN MY WOMB, WE SHARED OUR HEARTS, YOU TOUCHED MY SOUL. YOU SWEETENED MY SPIRIT, YOU GAVE ME MEMORIES
I'LL ALWAYS HOLD DEAR.YES, MY HEARTACHES SINCE YOU DEPARTED TOO SOON.
BUT A MOTHER'S LOVE DOES NOT END IN DEATH.
FOR YOU ARE MY SON FOREVER MY LOVE IS YOURS.

Adam lost his life December 12 2006. He lost control of his truck that he just got 2 weeks before Thanksgiving. When he lost control he went side ways hitting a telephone pole hitting on the drivers side killing him instantly. And then hitting a tree and hitting another tree the gas tank blew up the whole truck was engulfed into flames. So you see I was unable to see my son. I was so torn by the days events that I needed to rest. So I went to his room to try and rest. All of a sudden his door opened to his room. He was standing in the doorway and he says "hey momma." I move over and I say come lay with me, then all of a sudden
I get this peace that passes all understanding it was God bringing my son to me to let me know he was with him.

This is Adam when he played for Minisink Valley High School football team.

My son loved the Lord. He would go to Church just a couple of weeks before this.

Our lives are forever changed. My son Adam was my heart and soul. He loved life, and he had so much going for him. He had a good job.
He was going to school to become a state trooper. His life was good until that fatal morning when he lost control of his truck.

This pic was from J.R.O.T.C from high school. Adam was in college to become a state trooper, but he didn't finish, he only had another semester to go.

Until We Meet Again

Each morning when we awake
We know that you are gone.
And no one knows the heartache
As we try to carry on.

Our hearts still ache with sadness
And many tears still flow.
What it meant to lose you,
No one will ever know.

Our thoughts are always with you,
Your place no one can fill.
In life we loved you dearly,
In death we love you still.

There will always be a heartache,
And often a silent tear,
But always a precious memory
Of the days when you were here.

If tears could make a staircase,
And heartaches make a lane,
We'd walk the path to heaven
And bring you home again.

We hold you close within our hearts,
And there you will remain,
To walk with us throughout our lives
Until we meet again.

Our family chain is broken now,
And nothing will be the same,
But as God calls us one by one,
The chain will link again.

ADAM AND BROTHER-IN-LAW NOAH AT ADAMS SISTERS WEDDING.
HE ALWAYS SAID THEY SHOULD TAKE OUT IN-LAW BECAUSE HE WAS MY YOUNGER BROTHER.

Brother
"The Things We Carry"
And the life of Adam Janitz

The things we carry have a weight beyond comparison. A simple yellow collared shirt, weighing only ounces, now carries the weight of an entire family.
A memory of a son, brother and uncle all wrapped up in a simple piece of clothing. And the hope that the scent it carries will never fade.

A motorcycle weighing 372 lbs, which, although it is a very heavy real world object, is rendered weightless next to the burden of knowing it is still sitting
in the garage where it was left. The weight of the knowledge that it is going to be driven off by someone other than its rightful owner is unbearable.

A small singing stuffed toy weighing approximately 1 pound, given to a nephew who may be too young to remember the uncle that gave it to him. The tune it sings carrying the weight of reminding a little boy that an uncle who loved him very much couldn't wait to see him play with it. One little children's song, representing a future that could have been; filled with cousins he will never know. One little children's song, representing a past that is too blurry for the eyes of a two year old; filled with laughter and unconditional love.

We carry with us, everyday of our lives, things that defy the laws of gravity. Weight is just a word. It has a real world meaning that is defined in concrete terms in every dictionary in the world. A dictionary, however, can't define how family holidays will forever carry a weight that is unimaginable. How much does Christmas weigh? No one can find and answer to this in a book. A book can't put into words the pressure a person feels on their shoulders and chest when they think about a holiday that is meant to be spent with family, and that someone will be forever missing from the table. Knowing that gifts will be received from someone
who is not there to give them, carries a weight no scale could handle.

How does a person carry the weight for their grieving loved ones when they can't carry the weight of their own grief? This is the purpose of family. No one person can carry a weight such as this. The memory of Adam Janitz will live on through those that love him. It is an unfortunate weight to bear, but it is a weight that will never be lifted. Everyone carries with them tangible objects that are no longer weighed using pounds or ounces. They will be measured by the intangibles
they are forever linked to.

I carry with me the knowledge that the title brother-in-law is meaningless. It is something created by a person to put people into categories. No one will ever convince me that Adam is anything but my little brother. Why do I feel the pride that only a big brother can have for his little brother?
Although I have many memories to carry with me, it is the future that weighs the most.

The thoughts of seeing him for the first time in his State Trooper uniform, being a groomsman at his wedding, or holding my little niece or nephew for the first time can make only a big brother's chest swell the way mine does. I will always have tremendous pride when I think or speak of Adam. I carry with me the regret that I never told him just how proud I was of him or how much I admired him. Adam's independence, intelligence, and devotion to his family are qualities that I respect greatly. I carry with me the words I want to say to him today. "Yes Adam, it is possible for a 29 year old man to look up to a 22 year old man,
especially when the 22 year old has the quality of character that you have."

Little Kevin McCarthy carries with him a burden no 7 year old should carry; losing the best big brother in the world, his hero. A big brother who would drive over to the house for the singular purpose of playing a game of catch with his baseball obsessed little brother. The weightlessness of innocence forever lost and replaced by the heavy load of grief. Barbara McCarthy carries with her the knowledge that the big brother who would always be there to protect her, will now be watching over her from a different place. That, although he can't stay up with her until 3:00 a.m. Eating brownies, giving her important brotherly advice,
and just talking about silly stuff and laughing, he will always be with her. Big brothers always take care of their little sisters.

Heather Klimas carries with her a weight only a big sister can carry. "Let me help you" she would say. "If I can give you a hot meal, some toiletries, and a place to stay every now and then, let me do it. This is what big sisters are for." The promise of future visits, now replaced by the weight of memories. Long phone conversations filled with words of support, shopping trips they would take together to help each other buy just the right gifts for loved ones, and dinners
with each other; just the two of them. Many private moments they shared as siblings. This is how families work. Everyone takes care of each other.

Simple things will change drastically. A bird will forever be remembered as a "bouge", for this was Adam's name for it long before he could pronounce it correctly. Every time she eats tacos it will be a reminder of the famous skunk cabbage and dirt concoctions she created with her little brother to sell to their mother when they were children. Adam's memory will be carried through the scent of lilacs. Imagine walking into a house filled with freshly picked lilacs. A little boy
and his big sister's idea of a nice surprise for their mother. All of these things she will carry with her forever.

Big Kev carries with him the idea that the saying "blood is thicker than water" is the biggest falsehood ever to escape the lips of a human being. Although he may not be Adam's biological father, try explaining this to him. See if it lessens the pain in any way. See if it wipes away the memories of the times they spent together.
Ask him if he will ever forget the beautiful yet effortless golf swing his son had. How natural it was. See if he will ever forget the laughter they shared.
Ask him who Adam's best man was going to be. The answer is his father.

Try telling Kevin that it was something other than the pride of a father he experienced when Adam, an underdog to begin with, pinned another wrestler who had been in control the entire match. The world discovered two things that day. First, that Kevin McCarthy may be the loudest man on Earth, for his cries
of triumph could be heard throughout the entire county, and second that Kevin McCarthy loves his son Adam Janitz.

Shirley carries the weight of a mother. She carried 7lbs-3oz. of a beautiful baby boy into this world. She carries a special kind of love that only a mother can know. It can be defined as unconditional, but one word cannot do any justice to a love of this intensity. There are so many moments to hold on to, so many things to be proud of: High School diploma, college student, ROTC's Cadet of the Year for 2002. The one thing that Shirley will carry forever will be the knowledge that she did a good job. She had a baby boy who grew to be a fine young man. Adam was headed for tremendous success in his life both monetarily and spiritually. She raised a boy with unquestionable morals and an unmatched devotion to those he loved. Although the pain will never go away, Shirley can carry her head high
when speaking of her son Adam.

There are so many memories to keep us going. It is impossible to sum up one person's existence on a few pieces of paper. We must simply carry on. We must acknowledge all we still have of Adam. It is something terrible and wonderful at the same time. Adam touched so many people. All we can do is carry these little pieces of him with us everywhere. Whether it is a tangible object that invokes his memory or something you simply can't put your finger on, Adam's life must be celebrated. He is everywhere. We simply need to know where to look. This is different for everyone. We knew Adam as individuals and we will continue
to know him as individuals. Take your own unique memories and items and let him live on through them.

By Noah Klimas
In loving memory of my brother Adam.
(This was the reading at Adam's service, Inspired by Tim O'Brien's novel)

We also have a scholarship set up for criminal justice. If you are interested, please write to:

Adam H. Janitz Memorial Fund
CFOC/CRIMINAL JUSTICE
23 WHITE OAK DR.
CHESTER, N.Y.10918

Please light a candle in Adam's memory by clicking on the image below ~

Dearest Shirley and ANGEL Adam

Graceful in the sleep
Soft in the whisper
Deep is your sorrow
Have strength in yourself
You gave all of yourself To Adam
You were always
Kind in your giving To Adam
Please don't blame yourself For what happened
Adam doesn't
OPEN YOUR HEART AND LOOK UP
YOU WILL SEE HIM
HE IS THERE
HAVE FAITH IN YOURSELF

Written By Sue-Anne Aguilera~~~Lee'sMom
MY FONDEST LOVE SHIRLEY