In 2021, Anthony Goins (known as Mr. Tony) lost his life. It is suspected that he was kicked out of the shelter where he was staying in Columbus, Ohio and died due to severe weather conditions.
With winter upon us, I always think about my friend and former roommate, Anthony (Mr. Tony) Goins. He was a retired steel worker from Youngstown, Ohio. He was a son, father and husband who struggled with alcoholism. He lost his life tragically.
Mr. Tony was 71 years old at the time of his passing. Being a steelworker had to be tough and in my experience, that can be a catalyst for those who deal with substance abuse. I used to hear him talking to his daughter and he would always talk about the passing of his brother; he was in a bad place for an old man. I wanted to write about Mr. Tony because I wonder if his death could have been prevented. How do you help those who can barely help themselves? I won’t do the blame game. I just wanted to speak to this as winter approaches, so Mr. Tony’s death is not in vain. Breaking the rules should never be a sentence and although I’m sure the staff at the shelter where he was staying did not think he would die, it was 18 degrees outside. I know in Nashville our weather is not as cold as Ohio and I’ve seen how this community watches out when freezing temperature hits. But could Mr. Tony’s death have been prevented if the staff had used more common sense? Maybe they were on a power trip. It was definitely a mistake on Mr. Tony’s part, but he paid for it with his life. I can’t imagine his last moments were very pleasant.