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Gregg Jorritsma

“I am interested in sharing my story of grief after the loss by suicide of my 25 year old son almost two years ago now.”

Interests

About Me

The second the first note of my wife’s scream hit my ear; I knew what had happened.

A few seconds later my worst fear was realized as I stood in my son’s room and looked at his cold lifeless body. He lay against his closet door, blue in the face, cold as I lifted him down to the floor and began CPR, while my other son called 911. That’s how this journey began for me on the evening of January 17th, 2020. It’s been twenty-four months since that horrible evening.

Today I live with the pain of knowing that as his father I could not protect him from himself. I live with the sorrow of not being able to watch my first-born son grow into a career and family man. I live with the sadness of not being able to have a discussion with him ever again. Pierce Richmond Jorritsma. I miss you.

While I would not describe my journey as complete, and I’m not even sure it has a finish line…many days it feels like this journey has no end. However, there are nowadays when I do feel positive and happy, but it has been a complicated road to achieve this state of mind. As I reflect on where I am with my emotional and mental health today, I can’t help but have a feeling of impending doom. That’s the way depression has manifested itself with me, it’s always there looking for a crack in my thoughts to creep into my subconscious.

I am a 57-year-old father of two boys, married for 31 years, and a reasonably successful business professional. I have lived in the Greater Toronto Area of Canada most of my life and have traveled through Europe and Latin America extensively. I shared interests with my son in craft beer, wine, cigars, Elvis Costello, Dallas Green, and the rights of the first nations people.

Profile artwork for Gregg Jorritsma
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