A young life gone too soon is always a tragedy. But in the case of Jack Quehl’s family, they’re working to provide hope to other families. The mission of the Jack Quehl Foundation is to protect other youth against fentanyl poisoning.
Born on June 22, 1997, John Thomas Quehl, quickly known as Jack, was filled with a zest for life. His passion for sports and academics began early and grew throughout his life. As a boy, Jack participated in every sport he could. His love of sports could be seen in his wardrobe choices, a constant mix of college and NFL jerseys, especially the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
By the time Jack reached high school, football had captured his heart. During his time at Moeller High School, Jack was a four-year member of the football team. The team won the state championship during Jack’s freshman and sophomore years. He also played two years of volleyball. Known for his gap-toothed grin, Jack loved to laugh and participated in Moeller’s improv group with his brother Tyler.
Jack was an academic all-star as well, earning a spot in the top ten of his class. He was a member of the National Honor Society, a National Merit Scholar, and was chosen by his classmates to deliver the closing speech at the graduation ceremony. Even with all this success, Jack’s parents describe him as unassuming and quiet. Stephanie Quehl, Jack’s mother, adds, “Jack never liked anything fancy. He was happy to let others be in the forefront.”
It was on his senior trip with his Moeller classmates that Jack discovered another passion — travel. Earning a scholarship to the University of South Carolina, Jack studied business at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business and was chosen for the study abroad program. Over the course of three semesters, Jack studied in Germany, Singapore and Brazil. Along the way, Jack made lasting friendships and his love of travel grew.
After graduating from USC in 2020, Jack was accepted into the Venture for America program, which places graduates into startup businesses to develop the next generation of entrepreneurs. He interviewed with multiple startups and joined a company called HEX, based out of Baltimore. Jack spent his first year working remotely from his parents’ home in Cincinnati. Back at home with his parents and brothers Eric, Tyler and Adam, Jack worked hard, read incessantly and developed a love of music that he shared with his family.
“We are so grateful to have had that time together,” says Tom Quehl, Jack’s father. “My sons are my best friends, and I love spending time with them.”
In July of 2021, Jack moved to Baltimore to begin his adult life. On Labor Day weekend, the family packed up another U-Haul to move Tyler to Philadelphia. Jack met them there, helped move Tyler in, and then the family went back to Baltimore to spend time with Jack. This was the last time that they were able to spend time with Jack and his friends. Before they left, Jack left his parents a note thanking them for all that they had done for him.
Just a few short weeks later in September 2021, while with some friends, Jack used a recreational drug. That drug had been cut with fentanyl.
Fentanyl is a drug that is up to 50 times more potent than heroin. Jack wasn’t a habitual drug user, and he never intended to take fentanyl. But when he did, it took his future. It also took one of his friends, a fraternity brother from USC.
The world will never know how Jack Quehl might have changed it.
A FAMILY’S TRAGEDY
The afternoon of Sunday, September 19, was a bright and sunny day in Ohio. Tom was watching the Bengals game on TV, and Stephanie was volunteering at the local church festival. But their world was about to forever change. Stephanie received a phone call that no parent should have to get.
Jack’s friend found him unresponsive on their apartment’s rooftop deck. The Quehls drove as fast as they could from Ohio to the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. Jack’s brother, Tyler, also rushed to Jack’s side.
Tom and Stephanie arrived around midnight. The doctor told them the words no parent wants to hear — Jack had less than a 1% chance of survival. The medical team had done everything they could for Jack, but it was simply too late. Jack Quehl passed in the early morning of September 21, 2021.
Grief-stricken, Tom and Stephanie were overwhelmed by the amount of love and support from their community of family and friends. At Jack’s funeral, friends were asked to wear jerseys in honor of their friend and his favorite clothing choice.
THE JACK QUEHL FOUNDATION
In the months that followed, Tom describes it as “shutting down.”
“I closed off,” he says. “It was Stephanie that had the will to do something for Jack to honor his memory. And she wanted to help save another family from losing their Jack.”
The Jack Quehl Foundation and DoItForJack.org were born from this desire — a desire for everyone to know the amazing and inquisitive person Jack was and to educate about the dangers of fentanyl.
The foundation was officially started in 2022. Tom and Stephanie are leading the Jack Quehl Foundation by educating parents and students. Stephanie was a teacher for 18 years and left her job to focus on the foundation. Tom plans to retire to do the same. They are passionate about sharing Jack’s story to educate others.
“We are not here because we want to be,” Tom says. “We are here because we have to be.”
That is why they are bravely sharing Jack’s story.
Stephanie says, “If we can save one life, then that is why we are doing this.”
It also means sharing other people’s stories. People are encouraged to go to the foundation’s website, DoItForJack.org, to share their own stories. The foundation hopes to partner with groups and organizations to get the word out to those most vulnerable. In addition, a scholarship in Jack’s honor is awarded at Moeller, Beyond the Boundaries, to financially support a student who wants to explore the world as Jack did. They are starting to speak at area schools this spring. “Someone dies every 5 minutes from fentanyl poisoning,” Tom says. “We have to educate the students and parents. We had no idea.”
Fentanyl poisoning is not just a problem for those with addictions. It is not a socio-economic problem, and it is not a youth problem. Fentanyl knows no boundaries.
Education is the best prevention.
Fentanyl Facts
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, it only takes 2 mg of fentanyl, less than 2 grains of salt, to cause severe respiratory depression and death in just minutes.
Illicitly manufactured fentanyl comes in different forms, including liquid and powder. Powdered fentanyl looks like many other drugs and is commonly mixed with heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine or made into pills. In its liquid form, fentanyl can be found in nasal sprays or eye drops. Drugs may contain deadly levels of fentanyl but still be unrecognizable by sight, smell or taste.
It does not take an overdose. Fentanyl can unknowingly poison anyone at any time — a habitual user, a person trying a drug for the first time, or even a person who believes they’re taking a street version of a prescription medication such as Adderall.
Illicit counterfeit pills look exactly the same as prescribed pills. There is no way to tell the difference.
Want to support the Jack Quehl Foundation? To donate or share your story, visit DoItForJack.org.