Despite ‘living his best life’, he succumbed to addiction

James Labbe, pictured in an undated photo, had what his family called a “light-up-room” smile. He died of an overdose on June 20, 2024. (Courtesy of Linda Labbe)

James Labbe, pictured in an undated photo, had what his family called a “light-up-room” smile. He died of an overdose on June 20, 2024. (Courtesy of Linda Labbe)

Judging by the turnout at his memorial service, James Labbe did not die alone.

On July 13, more than 300 people gathered at Calvary Chapel in Uncasville to remember his life, which had ended suddenly and unexpectedly less than a month earlier.

He was beloved by family and friends who spoke of him during the service. Even acquaintances, they said, commented on an unmistakable charisma he exuded, what his sister-in-law, Ashley Labbe, described as a “lights-up-the-room” smile.

Sadly, James Labbe, 35, who grew up in Baltic, was also a statistic, one of hundreds and thousands of people in Connecticut and across the country who continue to succumb to opioid overdoses. The state’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner attributed his death on June 20 to “acute intoxication from the combined effects of fentanyl and cocaine.”

The cause of death was described as ‘accidental’.

His mother, Linda Labbe, is a founder of Community Speaks Out, a Groton-based nonprofit that has helped countless individuals and families struggling with addiction over the past decade.

She is not the first founding member to lose a son.

Tammy de la Cruz and her husband, former state Rep. Joe de la Cruz of Groton, helped found Community Speaks Out after their teenage son, Joey Gingerella, became addicted to prescription painkillers. While in recovery, Gingerella was shot and killed while trying to stop an attack outside a Groton bar in 2016.

Lisa Cote Johns of Montville, the organization’s other founder, lost her 33-year-old son Christopher P. Johns to a heroin overdose in 2014.

At last week’s Community Speaks Out meeting, another mother, Joellyn Marie Rojas of Alliance for Living, a support organization in southeastern Connecticut, spoke about losing her daughter to addiction.

Through mid-April, there have been nearly 300 fatal overdoses in Connecticut this year, 82% of which involved fentanyl, according to preliminary data from the state Department of Public Health. In 2023, overdose deaths in Connecticut totaled 1,342, an 8.3% decrease from the 1,464 deaths recorded in 2022. About 84% of the deaths in 2023 involved fentanyl.

Seemed to be in a good place

Speakers at the memorial service for James Labbe expressed the shock that many in the chapel undoubtedly felt at his death. He seemed to be in a good place. He had plenty of support. He had found solace in his faith.

Shelva Leep, his cousin, introduced a series of musical selections and said attendees would hear “James” in country rocker HARDY’s “Give Heaven Some Hell” lyrics:

“You got a line out the church door to say goodbye/Yeah, I believe them when they say you’re in a better place/You had a wild side, but you also had an amazing grace.”

Joe de la Cruz said anyone who knew James must now be dealing with “a case of why.” He said he still wonders about the death of his own son more than seven years ago.

“James didn’t lose his battle alone,” de la Cruz said. “Keep telling his story. Sadness will be part of it.”

Dylan Howley, a recovering alcoholic who founded the Lefty’s Cycle Project, which repairs and distributes bicycles to people in recovery, said he and James hit it off right away when James volunteered with the organization.

Recovery is lived constantly, Howley said. “You’re thinking about getting through this day, this hour, this moment.”

Neither Linda nor her husband, Jay Labbe, spoke at their son’s service. Linda, who was given a bit more time, spoke out in an email last week, praising her son for his years of dedication to recovery. He was living with them temporarily at their home in Baltic after leaving a sober-living facility in New London.

State police notified them of their son’s death on the evening of June 20. He was found on Route 12 near the Ledyard/Preston border. They are awaiting further details.

“It’s hard for us to understand how this happened because he was so happy and is living his best life now, but there is always that battle in their minds when they struggle with addiction,” Linda wrote.

She believes her son became addicted to opioids after graduating from high school at Norwich Tech.

“I don’t think the kids who were experimenting with these pills back then had any idea how addictive and dangerous they were,” she wrote. “Our country was flooded with opioids and we quickly learned that they were the same as heroin.”

According to his mother, James was always willing to get help.

“Life in recovery is not easy, but it is so rewarding,” she wrote. “It is hard work every day for them, but people in recovery are the most amazing, resilient people. James has worked hard every day for his recovery. Unless you have been through this with your loved one, most people don’t understand how much work goes into it.”

James, who loved anything to do with wheels, including bicycles and dirt bikes, worked in a garage in New London.

His mother wrote that he had also become involved with Community Speaks Out, attending many of the meetings and participating in the activities. He enjoyed giving back to the community.

She indicated that she is still involved with Community Speaks Out.

“We will continue our mission with a strong focus on recovery and reaching schools,” she wrote. “Prevention and education must be a strong focus in our schools.”

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