A high chance of watersport fun and views of the glistening freshwater from the Port Neches Riverfront Park boat ramp draw people to the Neches River every holiday weekend. For Groves mother Ashlea Curtice, that same view also holds the memory of the day her family’s life changed forever.
Memorial Day weekend 2023, Curtice’s 14-year-old son, Conner Lee Curtice, died in a boating accident on the Neches River.
“He wasn’t wearing his life jacket,” Curtice said, recollecting harrowing moments that still haunt her mind. “He did not have the kill switch on, so when he fell out of the boat, he could not be found.”
The loss is one no parent ever expects to endure. But, instead of allowing grief to become the final chapter of Conner’s story, his mother has chosen to transform unimaginable heartbreak into a mission that could save lives.
This Fourth of July weekend, beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday at Port Neches Riverfront Park, Curtice will once again hand out free life jackets to children and adults, in Conner’s memory, through the “Wear It For Conner” campaign.
The giveaway is more than a community event for Curtice; every life jacket represents hope that another family will never experience the pain hers has lived with for more than two years.
“There are no words that truly explain what it feels like to lose a child,” the grieving mom wrote while launching the campaign. “That one moment ... that one missing piece ... changed everything forever.
“If I could go back, I would do anything to change that day. But I can’t.”
Instead, Curtice is focusing on what she can change.
Earlier this year, Curtice launched a fundraiser to purchase life jackets for local families and to create a permanent life jacket station at the Riverfront Park boat ramp. The response from the community was immediate. More than $5,000 was raised through GoFundMe and local donations, allowing Curtice’s vision to become reality.
Conner’s grandfather, Craig Brown of Groves, built the station by hand.
Local artist Jamie Danae Castille, owner of Peace of Art in Mid-County, transformed the wooden structure into a colorful memorial, painting it by hand before it was unveiled in May.
Even the installation carried special meaning. The station was placed at the park on what would have been Conner’s birthday.
“What started as an idea to honor Conner’s memory has become something real,” Curtice wrote after the installation. “(It’s) a place where families can borrow a life jacket, stay safe on the water, and hopefully prevent another family from experiencing the heartbreak we have endured.”
The station now serves two purposes. Borrow-and-return life jackets remain available for anyone heading onto the water, while additional jackets can be taken home by families who need one of their own.
Curtice originally purchased more than 90 life jackets to distribute over Memorial Day weekend. Rain kept attendance low, with only about 20 jackets finding new owners.
The remaining jackets will now be available during the busy Fourth of July holiday, when thousands are expected to enjoy Southeast Texas waterways.
For the Curtice family, life on the water has always been part of who they are.
Curtice’s oldest son, 19-year-old Clay, and youngest son, 11-year-old Colby, remain avid fishermen and duck hunters. Growing up, the family spent countless days on area rivers and lakes. Conner loved those adventures just as much, Curtice remembers fondly.
Now, Conner’s memory is captured in a simple phrase now displayed alongside the campaign: “Dream Big. Fish Hard.”
The slogan has become both a tribute and a reminder of the young outdoorsman, whose love for fishing continues to inspire others to stay safe while enjoying the same waters he loved.
Curtice hopes people see the station, borrow a life jacket if they need one and, most importantly, wear it, because she knows firsthand how quickly life can change.
“It only takes one second,” she said. “One accident. One missed precaution.
“And, a life jacket can be the difference between life and death.”
As boats launch this holiday weekend and families head onto the Neches River, one small wooden station near the ramp will quietly stand as both a memorial and a promise that one mother’s love for her son continues to ripple outward, protecting strangers one life jacket at a time.
The “Wear It For Conner” Life Jacket Station is located at Port Neches Riverfront Park boat ramp near the intersection of Lee Ave. and Merriman St. Donations can be made online at www.gofundme.com/f/wear-it-for-conner or at Neches Federal Credit Union to Account #3251309.
Conner Curtice, 14, died in a boating accident May 30, 2023. His mother hopes to keep other families from such a tragedy.
The ‘Wear It for Conner’ Life Jacket Station, located at Port Neches Riverfront Park boat ramp near the intersection of Lee Ave. and Merriman St.