Alex Appleby was in Stockton on May 29, moving some things into storage, when he got a call from a friend in distress.
It was Michael, the son of Appleby’s neighbors. He had devastating news: Michael’s mother, Sue Crawford, had died in a car crash. Her partner, Lawrence “Junior” Coleman, was critically injured and died days later, on June 5.
“I turned around and headed back to see how I could help,” Appleby said. “As soon as I pulled into the driveway, I heard all the dogs barking — and that’s when it really hit me.”…