Daniel Leroy Alavezos

Daniel LeRoy Alavezos was born in Ukiah, CA, on August 3, 1996. He was 23 years old. Daniel was a beautiful caring son, grandson, brother and friend. His friends will tell you that if anyone ever needed support when facing the difficulties of life, Dan would be there. He cared about others and wanted so badly to change the world. Something my son was extremely ashamed of was that he had a mental illness. The illness was not his fault. He dealt with paranoid schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder. One of his greatest fears was that because of his illness he would be, for lack of a better word, mean. He never was. Additionally, he felt that he was a burden on those around him. He was not. He believed his life had no value. It most certainly did to all he met. He was studying biology in hopes of finding a way to cure his disease, and others, through the manipulation of the genetic code. The medications we currently have made it difficult to concentrate so he stopped using them in order to succeed in school. As his father, I am talking about something that he would not want me to share because I love him and hope his story might have a positive effect on others. My son, though facing extreme challenges, did make the world a better place for me for the entirety of his existence. He supported others when they needed it but had difficulty asking for support for himself and, because of that, he is gone and no longer can provide the support that he freely gave throughout his short life. Daniel had nothing to be ashamed of and, as a society, we need to make sure others facing similar challenges know they are valued, loved and appreciated. Daniel is survived by his sister Christina Alavezos, who is left with memories of a wonderful big brother. His grandparents Emil and Carol Alavezos, who always have been so proud of him. His stepmother Rosie Alavezos and stepsiblings Chris, Alma and Sean, who came to love him as one of their own. Daniel's life and memories live on with his Aunt and Uncle Debbie and Tom Carboni, and their children Dominic and Ali, all of whom flew across the country to lay him to rest. He will be greatly missed by his extended family, including Sherri and Adolfo Gomez who have done so much in the past couple of weeks. Also suffering this from this tremendous loss is his mother Martha, his uncle Daniel Rodriguez, and cousins Gabriella, Daniella and Andre; and his fiancee, Sage Mitty and her family. The list of close family members spreads two continents and several countries and includes his grandmother Gladys Freitez and Uncle Rafael Rodriguez in Venezuela, and Uncle Miguel Rodriguez in Columbia, along with all of their children in various countries. Lastly, but not least, Daniel is survived by close friends in whose lives he made a positive and lasting impression, Patrick, Omar, Seth, Josh, Brandon, Victoria, Gaven, Riley, Jose, and many more. The Bible has a verse that keeps repeating itself in my mind since the night I discovered him, "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased." David LeRoy Alavezos

Daniel Leroy Alavezos

August 3, 1996 - November 8, 2019