×

Learning From Loss

Family Recalls Son, Brother Who Could Make Anyone Smile

Justin Romaniuk was killed in a car crash Jan. 23 on Route 60 in the town of Charlotte. More than nine months later, his family is still struggling to find out what happened. Justin was enrolled at the University at Buffalo for mathematics and had plans to become a math teacher. Submitted photo

Justin Romaniuk knew his way around electronics. That much was evident to his mother, Linda, who recalls walking into her son’s room and finding him on the phone with a representative of Microsoft to resolve a technical problem with his Xbox.

The problem was resolved, though Linda said she needed to sign off on sending the gaming console to be fixed. That’s because Justin, who had a knack for troubleshooting electronics, was only 9 years old.

“He liked to play video games,” Linda Romaniuk said. “Whenever he had problems with schoolwork he would go online and find people that he could chat with. He was very self-sufficient.”

Then there were the shoes — lots of shoes — that Justin collected. Linda said she still remembers the day her son asked her to go first-thing in the morning to buy a new pair of high-end sneakers that had just gone on sale.

“He had a shoe habit,” she said. “He liked his shoes. One time he had soccer or work so I had to go to the shoe store at 8 in the morning for a certain shoe. I’m sure that’s why he loved to work; he loved to spend.”

Justin while playing soccer at Southwestern High School.

It’s those memories Linda said she tries to remember of her son and not the ones from the morning of Jan. 23, the day Justin was killed in a crash in the town of Charlotte. The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office said Justin was driving southbound on Route 60 when — for an unknown reason — he crossed into the path of a Coach USA bus.

Linda said she was working when she received a call from her husband, Rick. She was in Brocton on her way home when Rick told her to pull over and not to drive.

When she finally made it home, Linda recalls seeing officers with the Lakewood-Busti Police Department in her living room and hearing her daughter, Jordyn, screaming. Other memories from that day are a little fuzzy.

“There were a bunch of people and a lot of his friends came and spent a few nights,” she said. “But a lot of it is foggy. There aren’t a lot of specific things that I can remember.”

No official cause of the crash has been determined. Linda said Justin had been sick shortly before the incident, so much so that he had been taking medication. Witnesses told police Justin’s head was down at the time of the crash.

Justin's senior picture.

Justin had an appointment with an eye doctor that morning and had been summoned for jury duty in Chautauqua County Court. He had just spent time with his girlfriend and was on his way to Lakewood when the crash occurred.

The uncertainty surrounding the incident has had an impact with the family.

“We just don’t know what happened,” Linda said. “Was he still sick? Did he fall asleep? There are just so many questions that we don’t know.”

Linda said her son’s phone had been checked to determine if he may have been using it at the time of the crash. The phones of family members were also checked, though no messages had been sent or received that morning.

A BRIGHT FUTURE

Justin graduated from Southwestern Central School in 2015 and attended Jamestown Community College for a year before transferring to the University at Buffalo. He was studying mathematics and had plans to become a math teacher.

He played soccer while in high school, a sport he played since grade school, though it was in the classroom where he truly excelled. He was a member of the National Honor Society, and while in school he received the New York State Comptroller Achievement Award, President’s Education Award and named Student of the Year at JCC in 2015.

Though her son was sharp in school, Linda joked that he had a tendency to lose things easily. “He could be looking for something that was right in front of him,” she said.

Among several jobs, Justin worked as a tutor at JCC. His patience with others was noted by many friends and relatives.

“He really would have made an excellent teacher,” Linda said. “And he loved his teachers, especially the ones he had a connection with. He thought they were great. The people at Southwestern school were so great; whole community was. There were so many people at his funeral.”

COPING WITH THE LOSS

Linda admits her family has struggled coping with the loss of their son and brother.

“You just can’t believe it happened,” she said. “It’s like you’re in a dream and you’re waiting to wake up. It has gotten better. (His friends) still stop over a lot. It’s not like we’re trying to not think about it.

“Instead of concentrating on the accident and what he may have went through, just remember how nice it was when he was here.”

Many of Justin’s friends wrote letters to the family, sharing stories, anecdotes and other random memories they had with him. Linda said she didn’t read the letters for several months. It wasn’t until she spoke to The Post-Journal she began to go through the stories.

Among some of the anecdotes Justin’s friends shared: Justin’s soccer ball’s name was Pelican; he drank chocolate milk until it made him sick; his favorite color was blue; he loved turtles; he was notorious for losing his wallet and keys.

Another friend, Andrew, wrote to the family: “While I may not have known him as long as some people, Justin was one of my best friends at college. He was also someone who I could always count on to help me get through tough times.

“He would always brighten my day whenever I saw his unforgettable smile or heard his little ‘hehe’ chuckle. He was always willing to help me with schoolwork, without hesitation.”

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

[vivafbcomment]

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today