On September 20, 2021, Loveland local Jack Quehl lost his life to fentanyl poisoning. Heartbreaking as that is, this isn’t just another tragic tale; it’s one filled with hope. Jack’s parents are hoping his story will educate others in the community, and his death will inspire a ripple effect—through education, one lost life can save countless others from a senseless death.
Jack Quehl was your All-American boy “with a twist,” which is exactly how his parents Tom and Stephanie Quehl describe him. Jack was into football and sports, but he also enjoyed reading books on Chinese economics. He kept a journal written in Portuguese. “He was a guy’s guy, but he was really smart. He was quiet. In fifth grade, his principal came up to me to tell me he was smart,” Stephanie reminisces of Jack’s early years.
For high school, Jack attended Moeller—he played football, but his academic ability was also obvious. A National Honor Society member and National Merit Scholar, he continued to foster his love of reading and was always striving for more. He went on to attend the University of South Carolina, which took Jack all across the world through their study abroad program. “He traveled to three different countries over three semesters, and that’s where his obsession with travel came from,” Tom explains.
It was the height of COVID when Jack graduated from college. “Jack worked remotely for a year from our home,” Stephanie smiles. “If not for the pandemic, he never would have come home. We loved that year with our kid, and the irony that he’s not with us makes that time more special.” After working remotely for a start-up, Jack moved to Baltimore in August of 2021. That Labor Day, the whole family got together on the East Coast, including youngest brother Adam, enjoying a weekend of family fun to visit both Jack and middle brother Tyler, who was living in Philly. “Usually we wouldn’t have brought Adam with us,” Stephanie says as she remembers that trip. “But it felt like God’s hand was at play in the story, and I said to Tom, ‘Adam needs to see where his brothers are living.’ We’re forever grateful he got to be with us that weekend because it was the last one we saw Jack.”
"We're still trying to piece together what happened the night Jack lost his life to fentanyl," Stephanie continues, somber, remembering the call that changed everything. "Jack had been taken to Maryland Medical Center - Tyler was already there, but things didn't look good." Stephanie and Tom hurried to Baltimore. "In my head, it was no big deal. In my head, my kid was going to be fine." Stephanie recounts those hours leading up to arriving in Baltimore. "It's a 10-hour drive … Tom and I drove it in 9. We were so numb. We just kept driving and praying and holding onto hope, but I've never been more sick to my stomach in my life."
"When we made it to the hospital, they were trying to tell us we needed to say goodbye. The medical team had done everything they could," Stephanie recounts.
“When we talk about Jack being Top 10 academically in his high school class and being athletic, we were proud of him—we like to brag about that,” explains Tom. “But it’s also the fact that you can be as smart and athletic as you want ... fentanyl knows no boundaries.” Jack had a fantastic job that he loved, was living on his own independently, and one mistake was grave for him.
Losing a child is one of the greatest losses, and while Stephanie and Tom were surrounded by family and friends, it was a hard time. “We were both recluses,” remembers Tom. “I didn’t want to eat. I didn’t get out of bed. Then one morning, Stephanie got up and said we needed to do something. We needed to educate people about the dangers of fentanyl so that no one else loses their Jack. And that’s how the Do it for Jack organization started.”
Now, through their Jack Quehl Foundation, Stephanie and Tom spend their time traveling the Loveland and Cincinnati areas educating people on fentanyl. They talk to high schools and businesses, because the target demographic of those dying from fentanyl poisoning is age 18 to 45. They want everyone to be aware of what fentanyl is, why it’s so deadly, and how we can combat it in our community.
Do It For Jack also wants to educate adults so that they can educate their kids. “We experienced such a terrible tragedy, and us speaking about it goes a long way,” Tom explains about the difference they hope to make with Do It For Jack. “It makes a difference to both the children and the parents … because as a son or daughter, when you make a decision like this, it doesn’t just affect you, it affects your loved ones—they’re the ones who have to carry the grief. And as a parent, they can put themselves in our shoes and see our grief, see that this could happen to their sons or daughters. That’s why our message is so strong—it’s happened to too many parents.”
Save the date: June 12–16 for Fentanyl Awareness Week in Loveland. Visit the foundation website for more information on the week’s Celebration of Jack.
Getting Educated
"We didn't know what fentanyl did," Stephanie shares about the importance of communities, companies and schools being better informed. "Now, we want to be the premier resource for fentanyl education. Why wait to find out? Why wait to be prepared? Train everybody now to be safe. Reach out to us, and we'll be there to help."
And that's what the Jack Quehl Foundation is all about: to pass on this message, stay informed and aware. Share stories, save lives. They do it for Jack. Now, what will you do?