‘He just had a way of making you try to be a better person’: Tristan Roby’s mother remembers her son’s life days after his tragic passing

Abby Roby is remembering the life of her son, Tristan, days after his tragic passing as a result of a 2019 hit-and-run crash. CTV's Sean Irvine reports.

The mother of Tristan Roby is sharing her appreciation for the community support she’s received after her son suffered a debilitating brain injury in 2019.

For nearly seven years, Londoners have followed the tragic story of Tristan Roby and the never-ending care provided by his mother, Abby.

Abby, Tristan’s sister Mackenzie and supporters have been by Tristan’s side since a July 2019 hit-and-run crash left him with a severe brain injury.

Tristan passed away peacefully with his family by his side at his home in London on Feb. 7 at the age of 23.

A private funeral was held on Thursday morning.

The Roby family wishes to express their appreciation for the emotional and financial support Tristan has received over the years.

‘I would just like the community to know that with their support and their prayers, it enabled him to touch so many people,” Abby said in an interview with CTV News on Friday.

Tristan’s memorial focused on the life he lived more than the life shattered that day in 2019.

The man convicted in relation to the crash continues to fight for an appeal of his four-and-a-half-year sentence.

While Abby will continue to fight on behalf of her son, she says the quiet service at St. Peter’s Basilica focused on Tristan’s spirit and personality.

“You know, he just had a way of making you try to be a better person. So that’s how it was in life, and that’s how he was, in his darkest days,” she said.

Abby plans to eventually become an advocate for others.

“Maybe to help other people that are going through this similar journey to help them navigate, because there is no book on that. I think unless you live it, you don’t understand how hard it is,” she explained.

For now, Abby will hold Tristan close and play the song he had once picked for his funeral during a passing conversation before the hit-and-run.

“He really liked ‘Ave Maria,’” she said.

“He heard it one day, and he came upstairs, and he said, ‘I really love this song. I’m going to play it for you, this is what I want to be played at my funeral,’” she recalled.

It was a wish that was sadly fulfilled too soon.

With files from CTV News London’s Ashley Hyshka