This website was created to honor the memory of my beautiful son, Jason Ray Horne, who was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Friday, April 29th, 1983, and ended his life on Tuesday, June 8th, 2004, at the age of 21.

Jason was a gentle-hearted young man who loved God, his family, his many friends, and adored his little sister, Rachel.  He was all I could ever want in a son.  He was affectionate and never missed an opportunity to  throw his arms around me, kiss me, and say he loved me.   He gave me so many reasons to be proud to be his mom.   He was my son, but he was so much more than that.  Jason was also my friend. 

I can't recall ever seeing Jason without a smile or a little grin.   Jason brought joy to the lives of everyone who knew him.   He was just so fun to be with.  He loved joking and making other people laugh.   He had a real talent for it.   He was also intelligent, insightful,  sensitive, caring, understanding, a good friend, and the sweetest big brother who was never too busy to talk to his 5-year-old little sister on the phone.   Jason never met a stranger - he could easily befriend almost anyone.   He was always a little person, but he was so brave and adventurous - at times even cocky, always the first to plunge right in and go for it.   Jason lived life to the fullest, with so much passion that it's hard to believe he would ever choose to end it the way he did.
 
Jason's real passion was music.  He taught himself how to play the bass guitar.  He loved playing with his band.  His favorite music was metal - his favorite band was Tool.   He also enjoyed the outdoors and spent a lot of time camping, fishing, and snowboarding.  Jason was a talented ice skater and hockey player. His whole family loved watching him play in his hockey games.  He seemed to just glide over the ice.   Jason shined in all the things he did - but he was always so unsure of himself -  a perfectionist who never seemed satisfied with the things he accomplished.

Behind his captivating smile, Jason secretly suffered from severe depression.  He kept this hidden inside for only he knows how long.  When he was facing the end of a relationship, this added to his depression, and it was more than he could bear.   The sorrow and depression were just too much for him.   Tired, feeling hopeless, helpless, and alone, he chose to end his life on the night of June 8th, 2004.  All of those who loved him were crushed by Jason's decision, as we would have done anything to prevent his death, but Jason's depression convinced him that the world, and everyone he loved, would be better off without him. 

Those who truly loved him have been left behind to try to make sense of this loss and none of us will ever be the same.  He was loved so much by so many and his death left an enormous  wound  that we will carry all of our lives.  There is no one that could ever take his place.  There will never be another Jason.  He grossly underestimated his own value and the preciousness of his life, never realized how much he was loved - never comprehended the depth of the pain his death would cause so many. 

Sadly, words can never truly bring to life all that Jason was or what he meant to his family and his many friends - there are no words that give life to the true "essence" of him or how incredible a person he was, but those of us that knew him feel we were blessed.  His life impacted us in a way that we will never forget.   He brought love and laughter to so many lives - and in twenty-one years formed friendships and bonds of love that will last the many lifetimes of those he left behind.  Our lives will never be the same without him, but Jay will always live on in our hearts.  Always loved, always remembered.
 
This site was created  to honor my Jason's memory.  It is a tribute to the young man whose heart was too gentle to bear the burdens of this life, but who gave us so much love and so many memories while he was here. 

Thank you for visiting Jason's site.  If you have stopped by, even if you never knew him or us, please write a tribute and/or light a candle to honor the memory of my precious son.  It means so much to us to know that you were here.  

Jason, your life was a gift - a gift I will always cherish even though you were never mine to keep.  It was a privilege to be your Mom, thank you for so many sweet memories.  

 Love you forever, like you for always...as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.  Sweet child of mine, sweet love of mine. 

                                             Loved, missed, always remembered  
                                                             Jason Ray Horne
                                          treasured son, loving big brother, loyal friend.