March 1, 2012 profoundly changed people’s lives. On that night our son, Thomas Norman Anderson, Jr., was struck and killed while walking on Highway 36 west. The impact of his untimely death continues to this day. Dealing with his death is a daily process. It is with us when we wake up and when we fall asleep at night. The shock of losing a loved one in such a violent manner is tough to deal with. To realize he was killed and left on the side of the road like an animal is unbearable. Thomas Norman Anderson Jr. was a person. To fully understand the impact of a person’s death, we must understand the impact of that person’s life. We, and those who knew him, called him TJ. TJ was a son. He has a mother who still grieves every day for her ‘Baby Boy.’ He has a father for whom he was his namesake and who loves him dearly. He has a stepfather, JoeDaddy, and a stepmother, Teresa. He was a father himself. He had two stepdaughters, Katie and Rachel, a son, Dakota, and a daughter, Amber. He was a husband and a loyal spouse and good provider. He was a brother to Jamie his older brother and his sisters, Wendy and Melissa. He was an uncle to Taylor, Darien, Haley, Brayden, Ansleigh, Brittany and Robert. He was a nephew, a cousin, a friend. His life touched many people. His life impacted many lives. It is exponential. It is multigenerational. His life mattered. Finally, Mr. Lenhart, we know you did not intentionally kill our son. You may have escaped a sentence but you cannot outrun the guilt. And we have to ask you one question – When you close your eyes at night, what do you really see? TJ’S FAMILY
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