Madeline Michele Koskela

June 12, 1999 – December 18, 2020

Life is transcendent at times, like the moment Maddie was born.

She spent her childhood in Clinton Township and loved spending time with her Grandpa Ray more than anything in the world. In fact, she had him wrapped around her little finger, he would and did do anything she asked of him, it was unconditional love between those two, like the real thing.

Maddie had big beautiful brown eyes and black hair so thick and shiny that I could never keep my hands out of it. She was intelligent, so smart. She never cared much for school; her ADHD gave her a hard way to go in that department, but she was so insightful, she understood human emotions, and psychology, and was empathetic in a way that was so much more mature and intelligent than her age, and knowing people, that was so much more important to her, really knowing a person’s heart, than learning Algebra. She also had very strong and informed opinions about most everything, and she was not afraid to tell you about them. I was really proud of her for that quality, she was well spoken and spoke from her heart.

She hung out with her younger brother, Ryan, all of the time growing up. I think our best family memories were from going up to the cabin in the summers. Maddie and Ryan would catch frogs along the lake’s shore. It was disgusting because they would just throw them in a bucket, like 50 of them, but Maddie and Ryan thought this was the best thing ever! Look for the frog pictures, you’ll see what I mean. They also loved going out fishing and kayaking with their Dad on Sandy Lake when we were there, and going to the little camp store, Krups, for a genuine U.P. pastie. It was a beautiful time in all of our lives and we will always cherish it.

Maddie and her Dad continued the tradition of going up to the cabin, the last time being just this past summer. I mean, it is a ten-hour drive to the cabin, a 21 year-old woman and her Dad, and Max the dog of course, for a week, there was love between Maddie and her Dad that was special and just theirs, that can never be taken away.

Tammy is Maddie’s sister, they met when Maddie was three and Tammy twenty-one. It was one of the joys of my life to see them together, and Maddie adored Tammy. Tammy was the best big sister, she was at all the birthday parties, took her to those Twilight movies (Maddie was Team Edward), she babysat and just goofed off with Maddie. Maddie was also an Aunt to Tammy’s children, Gavin and Annabelle, whom she loved without reserve.

Anyone who knew Maddie knew her love of animals, big and small, furry or scaley or just plain hairless. In fact, since she was about eight, Maddie has picked out every animal we’ve ever had in our family, from our beloved dog Max, to our cat, Coco, to Grandpa Ray’s cat Cleo, who now resides with Aunt Shelly and Uncle John, to her most important and recent loves Bubba and Sweet Pea, who now reside with me. They are the best cats because Maddie raised them – sweet and kind - and are a part of Maddie that I’m so grateful to have.

And then there were the horses, since she was about six, Maddie had no teeth and weighed all of 40 pounds at the time, but she had horses. The most precious to Maddie were Brewer and Pauleah, although there were others. She fed them, groomed them, kept them healthy and loved in 100-degree heat and ten below zero snow storms, she took care of them. Maddie once made her Uncle John drive her out to the barn late at night because she thought Pauleah needed an extra blanket, it always took a village with Maddie.

She was stunning on her horse though, like a dream. She came in seventh in the state of Michigan one year, she was a champion, but that didn’t too much matter to her, she just loved to be on her horse, to ride and to jump.

She loved chocolate, specifically Godiva dark chocolate raspberry truffles. Some other delicacies her Aunt Shelly introduced her to was crispy bacon with brown sugar, crusty french baguette grilled cheese sandwiches, and butter.

Maddie loved and was dearly loved by her Aunt Shelly and Uncle John, Uncle John and Aunt Sam, and her Aunt Marie. She had cousins Rebecca, Dave (Gretchen), and Mike (Shanna), Nicholas and many other uncles and cousins and second cousins and beyond. She was pre-deceased by her Grandpa Ray and Grandma Evelyn La Liberte, and her Grandpa John Koskela and Grandma Edna.

There are so many special friends Maddie had in her short life, she really did make friends where-ever she went and whatever she was doing. There was Danielle for Montessori, Bella from St. Thecla, Chloe and Amelia from Clinton Township, Taryn and Sydney and Riley from the horse world. Sarah, her trainer, was so important, she taught Maddie confidence and self-reliance. Also, Kirsten and Tommy from her high school days and beyond were so loved by Maddie. There were so many others and I’m sorry if I did not mention your name (we would be here for days). You were all a part of the fabric of Maddie’s existence here on earth, she truly cherished all of you. From the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you to each of you for being Maddie’s friend and giving her love.

None of us who knew Maddie, really knew her, will ever be the same. The last year or so of her life was difficult, Maddie really struggled and for those of us who loved her, it was agonizing to witness, and being powerless to help was even worse. I’m not going to sugar coat it, she overdosed on some drug and she died. She did not mean to die, Maddie loved life, but here we are, all of us who loved her and were loved by her, mourning her loss over a stupid mistake. I’m not sure there is much else to say, except she lives on in me and her Dad and her brother, Ryan, and in all of us who were lucky enough to know her.

Life itself will never be the same for me, the earth has shifted beneath me and I’m not sure when I’ll find solid footing again, but I do know one day I will find it, and I will be ok, and I’ll be grateful and honored to have survived this to carry her love with me through the rest of my life.

A very wise and beloved man recently told me that the death of a loved one is agonizing until we find a new way to hold that person in our heart, and then we keep them there forever. This takes time, so be patient with the pain, pain has its purpose in mourning.

Wait, one more thing, let’s leave this on the most positive note that life has to offer, Maddie’s laugh – genuine, infectious, a beautiful song.