Connor was and is deeply loved, and his life continues to touch the lives of others. Connor's Voice was created to honor his memory, share his story, and help others find hope when they need it most.

Stories, Hope & Resources

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Remembering Connor

His Life. His Voice. His Legacy.

Connor's Story

Connor was a kind, gentle, soft-spoken soul. He was respectful to his elders and had a quiet way about him that made people feel comfortable in his presence. He was charismatic, and his geniune personality drew people to him. Connor had many friends and loved spending time with them and simply enjoying being young.

He loved skateboarding. It was one of the things that brought him joy and gave him a way to express himself. He had recently graduated from high school and had just been promoted at this job. At only 18, he was beginning to step into adulthood and discover what the future might hold.

Connor was tall and slim, with long, brown, curly hair and his mother's expressive brown eyes. He was handsome, but what made him truly beautiful was the person he was-the kindness he showed others, his gentle spirit and the love he shared with people around him.

He was deeply loved by his family and friends.

On August 23, 2024, Connor died by suicide.

For those who loved him, the loss is impossible to measure. There are no words that can fully describe the emptiness left behind when someone so young, so loved, and with so much life ahead of him is suddenly gone.

But Connor's story does not end with the day he died.

Connor mattered. His life mattered. His voice matters.

We share his story not to define him by how his life ended, but to remember him for how he lived-as a son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, friend, and loved one; as a young man who made people smile, loved his friends, and was beginning to build his future.

Connor's life reminds us that we may never truly know the struggles someone is carrying beneath the surface. His story is one reason we believe in speaking openly about mental health, reaching out to one another, and making sure people know that they are not alone.

In honor of Connor, and all lives lost too soon, Connor's Voice exists to spread suicide awareness, support grieving families, and build a community of hope, healing, and understanding.

His life had meaning.

His voice still matters.

A Father's Reflection

Connor's father wrote these words in the days following his loss. They are shared here in his own words, as a father remembers the son he loved.

Connor Stephen Ghawi was my son. Much more importantly, he was a kind soul. Most parents believe their child is the best, kindest, funniest, smartest, most handsome child around. My wife, Becky and I know that we were truly blessed to have a son like him. He was all those things and more.

Connor made the people he came into contact with better for the experience. Personally, I can attest that he made me want to be a better parent and man.

Connor valued life. As a child if he caught a spider or moth inside the house, he would carefully carry it outside so that it wouldn't get hurt. He was compassionate to others, easily approachable, and befriended many with ease.

Connor was very loved. Becky showered him with attention. I would sacrifice anything to see him have a good birthday or Christmas. Even Kirsten, his older sister, would watch over and protect him at school. Yes, our son was loved.

The problem is that this was "our" perception.

On August 23, 2024 our world turned upside down. Connor tragically took his own life.

To say this was out of left field would be the biggest of understatements. Not my child, not my son who had the world at this feet. He had just graduated high school and got a promotion at his job. He had a girlfriend who loved him. Everything was falling into place. Again...so I thought.

My perception is not what's important here.

I have come to learn that while Connor left a note, it did little to nothing to assuage the crushing grief left by his actions. Ironically, my son was the last person who would want to hurt anyone, let alone his loving family. He honestly and mistakenly believed we would be better off without him.

He felt isolated and unloved. That was "his" perception, and it matters.

After the fact, we have asked all the "what ifs" that hindsight enlightens us with. The warning signs that I was blissfully oblivious to now haunt me.

Connor made the world a better place just by being here.

He no longer can use his voice to express his concerns and troubles or share his kindness and joy.

This is why we have created Connor's Voice. The hope is to save lives by raising awareness. We want people struggling with mental health issues to know that they matter.

Help us strengthen Connor's Voice.

From a Grandmother's Perspective

My family’s world, as we knew it, changed on August 23rd, 2024. That’s when my daughter, Rebecca, called me to tell me Connor, my 18-year-old grandson, had taken his own life.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! There had to be some mistake. He couldn’t have done that. He would never do that. Why was Rebecca not screaming and crying if this was true? Was this some sort of horrible joke? I kept asking questions, wanting this horrible statement to be cleared up.

She wasn’t crying. She was too calm. Then I realized she was in shock. I had to get there. I had to “fix” all this. I had to make it right somehow. There must be a mistake.

It felt like every moment was one moment less I had to get there and make everything “right” again. That, of course, didn’t happen. There was no fixing this.

I was trying to make sense of it all. How could this be? He just got promoted at work. He just got a car that he was proud of. He just graduated high school. He had so many friends. Girls adored him.

I couldn’t, and still can’t, bear to think he was in that much mental anguish that he felt he couldn’t go on living. How long had it been since he lost hope? What caused him to lose all hope? The questions are never-ending.

Why? Why? Why?

No matter why he decided to do this, I feel very sure his mind wasn’t in a place where he could see the unbearable pain he would cause his loved ones. If he was able to see that, he would have never gone through with it. He was too kind and too loving to hurt us this way, especially his mom and dad.

In the months gone by, it has been sheer hell for my daughter and son-in-law. Watching my daughter being tormented by her loss, her guilt, the “if onlys” she has put herself through, has been half of my grief.

So many times, in a desperate attempt to comfort her, I have done the opposite with thoughtless words. At first, it seemed like I was hurting her every time I would talk to her. It took me a while to realize that she had to process her grief in a much different way than I did.

Although my own grief felt, and still feels, unbearable at times, I was only able to imagine hers and my son-in-law’s pain—how deep it runs.

The months following the loss of my grandson have been torment for us all.

I cry for the loss of my grandson. I cry for my daughter, watching how losing her son has devastated her life and the rest of our family.

I remain by my daughter’s side and am forever trying to find a way to guide her out of the pits of darkness that are easy for her to slip into. Yet, I am afraid my actions may make things worse. I am afraid my inaction will make things worse. I sometimes feel I am walking on eggshells, but knowing that giving up isn’t an option.

I take comfort in believing there is hope.

Finding Hope Through Our Grief

In our journey toward healing, we are finding hope.

We want to spread hope and do what we can to help prevent this horrible event from happening to other families. We want to help make the public aware of the signs that are sometimes displayed before someone decides to take their life.

It is our goal to help educate the public, do our part to take away the stigma of mental health issues, and help find ways to make it easier for individuals to share their feelings.

While we ourselves are not mental health providers, we want to do what we can to refer troubled individuals to resources that may be available and to ensure that they know they matter; that they don’t have to face their darkest moments alone.

We also want to help families and friends that have lost loved ones to suicide locate resources to help them find hope on the grief journey.

We hope you join us in our endeavors.