Robert (Robbie) Rizzolo, age 28, passed away on Thursday, February 10, 2022, after a long, fierce battle with addiction. Rob never wanted to be defined by his addiction and mistakes. He was so much more than that. Rob was a beautiful, intelligent, kind, engaging, charismatic child of the suburbs who fell into the grip of heroin. It can happen to anyone.
Rob was hilariously funny, warm hearted and compassionate. He never ever passed judgement on anyone or anything. He was kind and forgiving, an attentive listener with an incredibly open mind.
Rob always lit up the room with his smile and sense of humor even while struggling with his demons. He was loved by everyone he met. He loved animals and children. He didn’t understand cruelty. When faced with it, it puzzled him and made him sad.
He never stopped trying to overcome his addiction. He HATED being an addict. He hated how it twisted his mind and life. He hated how it hurt the people around him who loved him so very much. He wanted to have a normal life, a successful career, a family, a Rover. He knew it was all attainable but only if he could overcome the addiction. This amazing human should be remembered for this and not his mistakes. Hiding Rob’s cause of death would help no one, and if his story could help just one addict push even harder for another day of sobriety, encourage an active user to choose recovery, or shine a light on this horrible epidemic, then it would be worth coming out of the shadows. He was very open about his struggles and now is not the time to change that. This strong attitude with a fierce drive and loving beautiful heart are things that he can be defined by, not his addiction.
In Robbie’s own words:
“I use because I get weird waves of depression and I’m not good at coping with stuff. I’m not the type of addict that uses just to use. I use when I feel like I have no other option. I HATE everything about using. Literally HATE it. When I say HATE it I mean I really HATE it with every bone in my body. As soon as I start, I wanna stop. I wouldn’t pick this sh*t up in the first place if I had my depression under control. It’s just something I’ve been hiding from for a long time but I definitely suffer from severe depression at times. And that’s the worst thing about it. Yes, it temporarily masks the depression but as soon as it wears off the depression doubles so really it doesn’t even help. Really just makes everything worse.”
Robert tried desperately but couldn’t break the chains of this demon that’s wiping out a generation. Addiction doesn’t discriminate. It will take hold and destroy anyone in its path including the families and people who love them. Addiction hides in the faces of everyday people all around us. Rob isn’t just another statistic or just “another one gone too soon”. He is a beautiful soul and a gift that the world lost and can never be replaced. So the best way to honor Rob is for people who read this to think twice before judging an addict.
He’s left us for now to be in a better place, one where he can heal and not be judged. He’ll be back when he’s ready, guaranteed.
Godspeed, Robbie
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