Jordan's Story
At 34, Jordan was achieving things in his life that many of his friends aspired to. At 6ft tall, he was good looking and was the sort of person "who lit up a room when he walked into it".
He had a lovely partner and a loving family. He held down important jobs, had his own house and adored his cat, Tabby, who he'd adopted from a neighbour no longer able to care for her.
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The Jordan his friends knew
Whenever someone loses their life tragically, tributes often follow. Jordan had many friends who loved him and miss him enormously.
At his funeral, they described him as well-mannered, a great listener, kind and considerate, intelligent, cool but humble, a true gentleman, humorous. "Being a friend with him was never a chore." "He was the person I would usually turn to at difficult times like this." "He was the best and most loyal friend I ever had." "He was remarkable in every sense."
As the months passed and Jordan's family spoke with his closest friends, it became clear he was unique and special in ways his family hadn't fully known:
"When we were at school, it was clear that Jordan was different and strikingly so. He was tall and very good looking, which drew people toward him but it was the way he held conversations and had views on topics which other young people simply didn't talk about. His passion for and knowledge about different cuisines and music was incredible — when we wanted to go into town for a McDonald's, Jordan would take us to Italian restaurants instead."
"Most kids looked up to Jordan. He was fiercely loyal and would always stand up for the underdog, publicly confronting bullies or those who would mock others."
"Although Jordan could be quite intense at times and was a strongly principled individual, he also had a wonderful sense of humour. His unique laugh was something that endeared him to others."
A kindness that reached everyone
As he grew older, Jordan was often drawn to those who were less fortunate. He would stop and chat to homeless people and local strangers, always listening intently. People would tell his family: "He always took a sincere interest in what I had to share."
Only a few days before his death, he stopped to speak with an elderly lady near his home. She was sweeping leaves from the public pathway, and in his usual kind and considerate way, Jordan thanked her and told her what a good job she was doing.
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The struggle beneath the surface
On the outside, Jordan appeared to be coping with life as well as anybody. But in his later teenage years, he began to struggle with his mental health.
Those years brought the break-up of his first serious relationship, followed by his parents' divorce shortly after he left home for university. The loss of grandparents he was close to, and of family pets, affected him deeply each time. Other significant life events would almost certainly have weighed on someone of Jordan's sensitive disposition.

By his late twenties, Jordan's mental health was deteriorating. In spring 2015, shortly before his 30th birthday, he was diagnosed with clinical anxiety and depression.
Despite this, Jordan held down important jobs with the Home Office and the Independent Office for Police Conduct. He owned his own home, had a wonderful relationship with his partner, and loved his family dearly. To everyone around him, he remained the person people wanted to be near.
December 2019
Then, on 4 December 2019, the unthinkable happened. Jordan took his own life at his home near Leeds.

Afterwards, his family found a box of belongings in his attic containing partially completed journals. One entry, from May 2015, revealed that Jordan had been living with suicidal thoughts — more than four and a half years before he died. He had carried that pain largely alone.
"There was nothing selfish about Jordan"
Some people describe suicide as a selfish act — but there was nothing selfish about Jordan. It is clear he tried to protect those closest to him by rarely sharing the depth of his mental pain.
In a final note to his family, found on his kitchen table, he told them: "Please know that this was the only way for me to stop the thoughts that were literally showing me no way out."

Fewer than 30% of people who die by suicide leave any form of note. It doesn't lessen the trauma, but knowing Jordan was thinking of his family in those final moments is something they console themselves with.
Jordan's legacy
It is in Jordan's memory — and his strong desire to help those who needed support the most — that The Jordan Legacy was founded in 2020, embracing the values and principles Jordan himself lived by.

Our goal is simple: to help as many people as possible make a different choice than the one Jordan felt he had to make that day in December 2019.
