He collided with the tree on the side of the road after jumping from the car. This tree has become a location, a significant landmark in Falmouth. For the past two years, Friends and family and even strangers have come to visit AJ's tree, bringing memorial items such as footballs, rosaries, student ID's, Tshirts, and a plethora of other items special to the person bringing it. In September 2014,
the decision was made and plans came in to action and a memorial garden was created. The thinking behind it was to creat a private area at the tree where people could come and sit, meet and remember, in a safe way. In this space there are exsisting trees, a bench, memorial stone, marroon stepping stones, white marble chips, screening plants, and a Yew (taxus) in the shape of a heart. The yew is significant being the first plant AJ ever learned in Latin. He was around 6 years old and he would make a point to tell me "mom, thats a taxus right"... it was the cutest thing ever.... then again, his magnetic personality, contagious smile, caring heart, and sense of humor are the things that made him so special thoughout his life.
