David C.

By David's mom, Rhonda

David Coffey

Bristol, Tennessee

David was born on September 1, 1981, in Bristol, Tennessee. He entered this world healthy after a long and somewhat complicated delivery: 10 fingers, 10 toes, a set of lungs that worked perfectly. He arrived as the first-born into a happy home and was joined by his brother, Chris, 22 months later. The boys were so much alike that they were often mistaken for twins.

It was not until his late teenage years that David began experimenting with drugs, which didn’t develop into an addiction until much later. He obtained a degree in Audio Engineering in Manhattan, NY and then moved back to Tennessee. He took a bad fall at one point and shattered his ankle. He had to have surgery and was given pills for the pain. From that time on, life became a struggle; it all started with Lortab and progressed to Oxycontin.

After going to his first rehab, which lasted for almost 90 days, David relapsed almost immediately.

This cycle continued for nearly 15 years. At times, David would gain long periods of sobriety--a year, maybe two years at a time. He even returned to school to become a Master Barber and opened his own Barber Shop. Through it all he was a loving and giving young man--always willing to help others. He had a sense of humor that could rival the best and put a smile on your face on the worst of days. Yet in the end, drugs still won the war. On July 26, 2015, while on vacation, David passed away from a heroin overdose.