Recall in an earlier post about how grief and joy can exist side by side with family being a principal source of joy. Yesterday was the Feast of the Holy Family. We got to spend a good part of that day in the wind and cold at the Temple that Snyder rules -- aka FedEx Field -- to witness the Skins wup the Cowboys last night and win the NFC East Division title.
Like so many things in life, it was a bittersweet day -- great times were had with John's bro and sis, as well as a host of others at a gargantuan tailgating party to include a much sought after fire in a rather toasty tent next to us. I could not help but remember that it was John and his brother who introduced us to tailgating at the Christmas Eve 2005 game between the Skins and the Giants -- which Washington likewise won to enter the playoffs that year. However, that tailgating party, which included John's Papa and Uncle Ken, along with his siblings, consisted of nothing more than a bunch of 6 packs and a few bags of chips standing behind the rear tailgate of our Highlander. We've come a long way since then with the improved epicurean delights and with John there with us, in spirit, every step of the way. One extraordinary way John's presence was felt yesterday was at the pre-game ceremonies which never before did we get inside the stadium in time to witness. What clearly brought John to mind was that the color guard for the national anthem were representatives of CIA's uniformed protective services. John was both very proud and very effective with respect to his career at the CIA. You can hear the last rendition of Hail to the Redskins during the regular season in the video below following the PAT after their fourth and final touchdown of the night (thank you, Alfred).
That was the question John's mom was recently asked by a fellow parishioner who we've been acquainted with since the kids went to Mother Catherine Spalding School. Several weeks ago, this couple, too, quite suddenly and unexpectedly lost their 30-year-old son to death. With the recent events in Connecticut, it's a question that far too many parents are facing anew. There is, of course, no easy answer to that question - in large part because it all depends upon what you mean by "it." If "it" refers to a parent's grief at the death of a child, the answer is clearly no. The grief is always there, day after day, hour after hour, as raw and painful as the first moment you realize the inconceivable and incomprehensible has happened. There is nothing that can assuage that grief - time does not diminish the pain. There is no greater obscenity than a parent burying a child - it violates the natural order of life in every way. The guilt at just still being alive while your child is dead can be overwhelming. That said - slowly but steadily, one comes to the realization that while the grief will always be there as intense as ever, it does not preclude the experience of joy. Grief and joy can exist side-by-side; one does not diminish the other. The joy can take many forms -- first and foremost family. But it can also be the beauty of God's creation or even the product of human creation such as a memorable song. In many regards, the intensity of grief eventually causes one to experience all that life has to offer, both the good and the bad, with a greater intensity and, more importantly, greater authenticity. So - does it get better? Can't say - but it definitely is forever different and not always in a bad way. This has been our experience, an experience we prefer not to share with any others; but, there is, unfortunately, an ever increasingly larger circle of bereaved parents as the events of the past week have shown.
In addition to being what would have been JW's Mammy's (his dad's mom) 88th birthday, today was very significant in other ways in terms of being symbolic of the warmth of the love between a parent and son.
In ascending order, firstly, indicative of placing herself last, JW's mom finally completed today a quilt for herself which, like all preceding ones, is made, in part, out of the remnants of JW's clothing. However, unlike all the prior quilts, this one did not have a unifying theme but was rather a "crazy quilt" made out of the materials left over from all the earlier quilts made with love for a few of those who occupied a special place in JW's life. In the photo to the left, John's mom proudly displays her own quilt. (To see all prior quilts, scroll down the side bar to the right).
Even more importantly, today John's nephew and namesake finally came home. After having been born at 27 weeks gestation, and after 94 days in the NICU at Alexandria Hospital, John Bentley was able to come home to Gina, Mike and his big sister, Ariana. JB truly represents the "impossible pregnancy" and is the product of the tremendous love, dedication and self-sacrifice of his parents -- JW's sister-in-law and "little" brother. There is no doubt that if there is such a thing as "pride" in heaven, JW is a truly proud uncle, brother and brother-in-law today. Gina and Mike have moved heaven and earth to give the gift of life to Bentley and are truly emblematic of the warmth of parental love.
Pictures of Bentley's homecoming can be seen below.
Out of remnants of JW's clothing, John's mom has been making quilts for those who played a special role in John's life. The latest quilt went to Grayson, the son of one of John's best friends, Mark and his wife, Emily.
JW and Mark were loyal alumni of Virginia Tech, attending many a Tech football game both near and afar. John's brother, Mike, has since assumed the mantel of loyal fan.
Last weekend, someone got to commemorate his 60th birthday. This commemoration was special in many ways - not the least in that it was all about family. As depicted in the below picture, this commemoration created new memories, which included bringing JW's niece to Chuck E. Cheese's, where JW's brother, sister, sister-in-law, niece as well as mom & dad got to play at arcade games, to include shooting some hoops.
This excursion also brought back some old memories as depicted in this post from several years ago. Specifically, that memory dealt with the last time that JW spent time with the entirety of his immediate family when, on a day-long excursion, we spent some time shooting hoops at the now shuttered ESPN Zone in Washington, DC. The fondness of that memory is now complemented by an equally joyous memory which includes JW's niece, who was very intently experiencing the uniqueness of an hour at Chuck E. Cheese driving her race car in the above picture. Memories - the essence of a life lived well.
Per this earlier post, I just got back from the 7th World Movement for Democracy Global Assembly in Lima, Peru where, among other things, I got to observe John's memorial fund in action. The purpose of the latest iteration of this fund was to pay for a number of democracy assistance activists from around the world to come to Lima and share their special expertise in the use of technology to support the spread of the universal human value of self-determination. It is also went to support the furnishing of these training sessions with the appropriate technological devices and the setting up of an Internet "cafe" so the attendees could remain in contact with individuals and organizations back in their home country.
As you can see below, John's fund's contribution was recognized in the Assembly's program and on banners throughout the meeting space.
In term of its overall objective of supporting youth and technology, I can report that John's fund was a tremendous success.
The first session was devoted to how to make Internet radio an effective communication tool. Two excellent and extremely knowledgeable individuals presented this well-attended session; Ahmed Samih from Horytna Radio Egypt and Christina Karchevskaya from European Radio for Belarus. Photos from the session are below (as you can note, simultaneous translation was provided for the session):
The second session was on how to design an effective web site. It was provided by Matias Federicio Bianchi of Argentina and Eduardo Vergara of Chile. Both are from Asuntos del Sur. Unfortunately, I only got to see a few minutes of this workshop (picture below) in that I was handling visa issues for many of the attendees and I had to make frequent trips to the Peruvian Foreign Ministry offices downtown.
The third session was on effective video sharing for activists and it was presented by Premesh Chandran of Malaysiakini in Malaysia.
The fourth and final session was regarding how to protect your information online. Unfortunately, the individuals scheduled to present it had visa issues and got stranded on the way from Azerbaijan; so instead, an individual from Turkmenistan provided the very informative session. What was particularly noteworthy was that it was given in Russian (with translation).
Monday night there was a cultural evening and reception for the assembly attendees hosted by the mayor of Lima. It was held in the in the Parque de la Reserva which contains the largest interactive fountain complex in the world. It included the Peruvian jazz group in the video below.
Thanks again to all who have generously donated to John's Memorial Fund. It has proven to be an extraordinarily effective way of continuing John's spirit in this world. He's still making a difference!
Next week (14-17 Oct), the Seventh Global Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy will be held in Lima, Peru. As described in this post, John's Memorial Fund will be supporting this important gathering. Due to the kindness of family members such as John's Aunt Ticia and Uncle Ken and Aunt Susie and Uncle John as well as his brother Mike, and a host of other individuals, almost $25,000 has been donated in John's memory to this important gathering of over 500 democracy activists from all around the world. To get an idea as to the good this fund will be achieving next week, click on the below picture.
The objective of John's fund has always been two-fold: to support youth and technology. As can be seen from the above flyer, this is exactly the use to which John's fund is being placed. The generous gifts are paying for a number of democracy assistance activists from around the world to come to Lima and share their special expertise in the use of technology to support the spread of the universal human value of self-determination. It is also going to support the furnishing of these training sessions with the appropriate technological devices.
In addition to the support of youth and technology, the use of this fund is especially poignant in view of the fact that one of JW's life altering experiences was to visit Peru less than a year before he died as described in this post. JW's spirit will be alive and well next week in so many ways that are so very appropriate to the manner in which he lived his life.
I leave for Lima today in order, in part, to see firsthand the impact that JW's memorial fund has on this important gathering. Check back in a little over a week in order to read all about it.
Faithful readers of this blog know what it is all about. It is best summed up in a quote from an article I read shortly after JW died. The article was about the troubled life of Mother Theresa and included the following quote: There are two responses to trauma: to hold on to it in all its vividness and remain its captive, or without necessarily 'conquering' it, to gradually incorporate it into the day-by-day.
This post is intended to capture the essence of the above thought, however imperfectly it may have been fulfilled to date. Switching between JW's blog and that of his niece and nephew as maintained by John's sister-in-law, Gina, one cannot help but be struck by the notion of the circle of life.
While the above notion is perhaps trite, another essential element of this blog is the soothing balm that music can provide to the pains of life, especially grief. Thus, reflecting upon the events of the past couple of months -- reflecting upon the circle of life and the role of music has led to some memories.
The first deals with Harry Chapin, a musical favorite of John's mom's and dad's even predating JW's birth. The first Harry Chapin concert we went to was in a high school gym in Huntington, Long Island. Other concerts included two at the St. John's University campus on Staten Island, NY; the first of which was so sparsely attended, Harry invited the entire audience to join him up on the stage.
A staple of Harry's concerts was to close with the song "All My Life's a Circle." Click on the YouTube link below to see a 1977 version of that song, and note the hair and clothing style from the era of JW's birth.
Harry died tragically young, in 1981 as a result of an auto accident on the Long Island Expressway not too far from where I grew up. He was on his way to give a free concert at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, Long Island.
Throughout his career, Harry focused on his social activism, including raising money to combat hunger in the United States. In 1987, Harry was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his humanitarian work. At the ceremony, Bruce Springsteen paid tribute to Harry by playing a rendition of Harry's song "Remember When the Music."
Ironically, Harry had written this song as a tribute to a man both he and I looked up to, Allard Lowenstein, a one-term Congressman from Long Island who was murdered in 1980. I first met Lowenstein when I was in high school and he was an inspiration for my interest in politics and public policy. Lowenstein was instrumental in the "dump Johnson" movement in 1968.
You can view Bruce's tribute to Harry by clicking on the below YouTube link.
Another theme of this blog, to honor the spirit of JW -- "do something!"
Finally, even the movie the Big Lebowski as recounted in the below post has something to say on this topic in the closing scene between the Dude and the Stranger (Sam Elliott) -- the Dude abides -- as can be seen in the below YouTube link complete with one of my favorite musicians, Townes Van Zandt (who also died tragically young), singing the Rolling Stones' "Dead Flowers" in the background. "Strikes and gutters," such is life.
Just like the Stranger, I'm just rambling here and, as always, thinking of you, JW.
The other day I was watching one of my favorite movies, The Big Lebowski, a Coen brothers classic, and it brought back a classic memory of JW from Belgium. Jeff Bridges plays a character who regards himself as follows: "Look, let me explain something to you. I'm not Mr. Lebowski. You're Mr. Lebowski. I'm the Dude. So that's what you call me. That, or His Dudeness … Duder … or El Duderino, if, you know, you're not into the whole brevity thing."
Although this movie dates back to 1998, 6 years after we left Belgium, its use of the "Dude" moniker in the film is intentionally anachronistic to capture the essence of a grown man who has yet to grow up. The use of the term "Dude" was especially pronounced in the 1980's due, among other things, to the popularity of the 1989 movie "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure", and thus was embedded in the vernacular of JW and his friends.
Thus, JW always got a kick out of passing a restaurant on the road between where I worked and where we lived, the D'oude Pastorie in Kraainem, Belgium. In Flemish, it translates to "Old Rectory" but for JW it was always "party on Dude!" Click on the picture below to zoom in on the view we passed almost daily.
Click on the "YouTube" link below to see the essence of "the Dude" explained.
In an earlier post, John's sister, Jes, wrote of her emotions during the recent Springsteen concert at Nationals Park and his theme for the night -- ghosts. Here's another excerpt from the concert in Bruce's on words and song about that theme.
In an earlier post, I made an imprecise reference to John's nephew JB being the fifth successive generation to bear the moniker John Leonard. As pointed out in the comments section by Bentley's great aunt, JB's great, great, great grandfather was also John Leonard. While I always knew him referred to as Maurice, his first name was actually John. In fact, his father, Bentley's great, great, great, great grandfather, who was the first Leonard to arrive in the United States from Ireland (in 1869) was also John Leonard. And, to complete the circle, the original John Leonard from seven generations ago was the son of Michael Leonard! So, JB's paternal derivation of his name is as follows:
Michael Leonard (1826-1882) great, great, great, great, great grandfather
John Leonard (1850-1909) great, great, great, great grandfather
John Maurice Leonard (1875-1901) great, great, great grandfather
John William Leonard (1898-1941) great, great grandfather
John (Jack) William Leonard (1923-2008) great grandfather
John (J.) William (Bill) Leonard (1952- ) grandfather
John William Leonard (1976-2007) uncle
John Bentley Leonard (2012- )
A 162 years of successive John Leonards and counting!
As my dad previously mentioned, we had the chance to go see The Boss in Washington DC last week and it was an absolutely amazing concert! And just like my dad, I couldn't help but be filled with emotions surrounding John. One of the reasons for the emotional impact of the concert was Bruce's theme for the night: "Ghosts". He mentioned that as kids, we fear ghosts... but as we age and lose loved ones, ghosts become less scary and become a part of our lives as they walk among us and within us. They become Spirits in the Night (which was one of the best played songs of the night). Bruce, as I assume, was referring to the loss of one of his bandmates and a good friend, Clarence Clemons, the BIG MAN on the saxophone. And there was a lovely tribute to him on stage with a mirage of pictures with background music played by his nephew who took his place in the E Street Band. Although this was a mournful moment in the concert, I appreciated it immensely and realized that while it's sad to have so many ghosts, I am also blessed to have many spirits looking out from above and within- as I feel John around me. While I heard others around us complain of the slowed down tempo, I was taking in the moment and feeling the emotions of the night. Just like life, the concert was a roller coaster of emotions but since Bruce and his band are talented artists, the roller coaster just makes you feel more alive! Thanks Bruce!
Memories of JW. They are there every day. Without exception, he is the first thought I have every morning and the last thought I have every night -- and in between, JW will leap to the forefront of my mind multiple times everyday without any rhyme or reason other than the fact that he is my son and I love him and I miss him so, so much.
It has always been my objective to focus my memories of JW on how he lived rather than how he died -- what was rather than what could have been. Nonetheless, it's impossible to erase from my memory the circumstances of his death.
In that regard, I instinctively knew that it was not a wise move to go to any concert, let alone a Bruce Springsteen concert, on April 1, 2012. For 2012 was not only five years since that fateful 2007, but both the celestial and the scriptural calendar aligned perfectly between those two years. Nonetheless, that was the date that Springsteen had set for Washington, DC for his Wrecking Ball tour and Springsteen means so much to JW's mom and his music has been a source of strength for her, especially over the past five years.
So, on April 1st, off to the Verizon Center we went. In that it was five years to both the day and date (and Palm Sunday to boot) that JW had made his first visit to a hospital emergency room on what would prove to be the first day of the last week of his life -- I knew that I would relive life minute by minute not only for that day five years prior, but everyday for the next week. Thus, I must have been quite a sight at that concert, slumped in my seat while 17,000 people where singing and dancing in the aisles.
With that thought in mind, JW's mom, sister and I (along with Jes' good friend), went off to another Springsteen Wrecking Ball concert this past Friday at Nationals' Park. This time, I was determined not to rehash my emotions from last April but rather to experience the concert in the manner JW lived his life, with gusto and relish. It made all the difference in the world and made Friday one of the best concerts I ever attended. Thanks, JW for your continuing lessons as to how to live life. And by the way, I had a beer for you.
To get a flavor of what the night was like, click on the YouTube link below and listen to the instrumental portion of "Racing in the Street" with Roy Bitten on piano, Max Weinberg on drums, and Gary Talent on bass giving it their all -- just as JW gave it his all when he had the chance, to include just having a good time such as attending an outstanding concert.
Little JB is the fifth successive generation to bear the name John Leonard.
Bentley's great-great-grandfather is John William Leonard (1891-1941)
Bentley's great-grandfather is John (Jack) William Leonard (1923-2008)
Bentley's grandfather is John (J.) William (Bill) Leonard (1952- )
Bentley's Uncle is John William (JW) Leonard (1976-2007)
And now: John Bentley (JB) Leonard (2012- )
For 27 weeks now, John's sister-in-law Gina and brother Mike have moved heaven and earth in order to ensure the birth of their next child. In an example of awe-inspiring self-sacrifice, together they have done everything humanly possible in order to provide for a successful pregnancy.
We and other family and friends have just learned a special detail -- that this very extraordinary baby is John's first nephew -- John Bentley Leonard.
Bentley's (or JB's) first name is after his Uncle Johnny and we like to think that JW has been doing his fair share from heaven in looking out for him.
Bentley is so very fortunate to have such loving parents and to have an uncle he can look up to in more ways than one.
In fact, you can see a bit of family resemblance below:
Recently discussing with someone what there is to do in Washington, DC for Independence Day brought back memories of the last time we spent the Fourth of July in the District as a family.
It was 20 years ago, 1992. We had just returned from living in Europe for three and a half years and the kids and their Mom had not been back in the States all that time. JW was 16, and that summer he got to experience something which he had wanted to do for many years; attend Space Camp in Huntsville, AL. We were staying in temporary housing in Northern Virginia for a couple of months and JW was scheduled to fly into National Airport the night of the 4th of July. The rest of us thus went to the live performance on the Capitol lawn that evening and then got to see most of the fireworks on the Mall before leaving via Metro to pick up JW at the airport.
Two things I distinctly remember from that evening was how excited JW was to see the fireworks on the Mall from the airplane while it was landing at National Airport; the other was, not for the first time, JW lost his camera, having left it on the airplane.
16 in July. Little did any of us know that JW had just passed the midpoint of his earthly life. But a very full life it was; JW always living life to the fullest. For further reflections on being 16 in July, click here.
In my haste to publish photos from last weekend's Fest, I neglected to mention that one of the high points of the day was the celebration of Cate's birthday, which is today.
Cate occupys a "transcendental" role in John's life occupied by few other than family and the closest of friends. Cate went to the same elementary school as did John. After the 7th grade, when John moved to Europe with his family, they grew apart. Unbeknownst to both of them, in the meantime, John's younger brother Mike became good friends with Stryker while in college. One day, Mike gets John together with his buddy, Stryker, and Stryker's then girlfriend (eventual wife), Cate, and together, John and Cate come to the realization after ten years or more that they had shared an entire elementary school life together. Stryker felt like a third wheel the rest of that evening as Cate and JW caught up on each others lives.
Ever since, both Cate and Stryker have been an important part of John's existance, even to this day.
As such, it is only fitting that we were able to celebrate, with a good part of her family, Cate's birthday today at John's Fest last Saturday.
This past Saturday turned out to be a very special day as John's family, friends, as well as old and new acquaintances, commemorated in true John style the 36th anniversary of his birth. The highlight, of course, was the beer cup kickball game in which everyone who played turned out to be a winner (since the game ended in an 11-11 tie, after extra innings).
The moon bounce and the slip & slide turned out to be a real hit for the newest generation to join the festivities. The weather was perfect, as was the camaraderie. A special thanks to Aaron for supplying the Guinness for the toast to John (as well as a special toast to John's newest niece or nephew who is due in November). Also, a special thank you to the Morgantown crew for their help in setting up before the fest, and cleaning up after. The fest would not have been the success it was but for their able assistance. And, of course, thanks to Barbara, John's "second mom," who took many of the pictures below.
Also, an exceedingly special thanks to John's Aunt Ticia and Uncle Ken who once again made an extremely generous donation to JW's Memorial Fund which is now at almost 95% of its goal in donations and pledges in raising $25,000 for the World Movement for Democracy Global Assembly in Lima, Peru this October.
Be sure to check out the photos for the day, to include one of the day-after.
Fathers"s Day is, of course, special in so many ways. For me, it was on Fathers' Day that I first became a dad, with JW, my first born, being born on Fathers' Day, 1976. I often told JW that he was the best Fathers' Day gift ever, at least better than any lousy old tie. Fathers' Day is also significant in our joint lives in another special way. It was Fathers' Day, 1978 (34 years ago) that JW, his mom & I moved from Hillsborough, NJ to Chesterfield County, VA. Unlike his dad who lived in the same home from the time of his birth to when he moved out to be married, JW, like his siblings, lived a very peripatetic life. By Fathers' Day, 1978, less then two years after his birth, JW already lived in three residences. It would take two temporary residences in Virginia before we could move into our new home in Chesterfield. That was followed by a temporary residence in Maryland; followed by moving into a new home in Helen, MD; followed by a temporary residence in Brussels, Belgium; followed by living in Wezembeek-Oppem, Belgium for over three years; and then a return to Helen. It was from there that JW undertook his own wandering trail.
That is one of JW's many enduring traits -- a sense of wanderlust. My son, you continue to blaze trails for the rest of us.
Faithful readers of this blog know what a source of solace music can be -- an especially rewarding source for us is WFUV-FM in New York City, one of the few freeform radio stations surviving today. An especially inspiring source is Vin Scelsa and Pete Fornatale, both of whom we have been listening to since well before JW was born having discovered them on WNEW-FM in New York in the late 1960's. Pete died quite unexpectedly several weeks ago. Vin, of course, dedicated one of his recent shows to Pete, the first 10 minutes of which can be heard here. It opens with a monologue from the French-German movie, Wings of Desire which is about angels in Berlin. It includes Peter Falk who plays himself, an actor in Berlin, but one who used to be an invisible angel but gave that up growing tired of all observing and never experiencing. JW, of course, experienced life to its fullest, but is now among us, invisible.
Mother Catherine Spalding School recently announced that their 4th grade teacher Mrs. Kelly Rodriguez was the Archdiocese of Washington’s nominee for the Maryland Society for Educational Technology (MSET) Outstanding Educator Using Technology Award. She received this nomination for her exemplary use of educational technology in the teaching and learning process, specifically with the school’s new classroom set of I-Pads, made possible by John's memorial technology fund as indicated is this and this earlier posts.
Today, for the first time, John's mom & dad went to a donor family gathering sponsored by the Washington Regional Transplant Community. It seems entirely fitting, five years later, to attend a gathering intended to recognize and remember the tremendous gift of life which JW and others made possible by the donation of their organs and tissues. We heard several donation recipients recount first-hand the impact such donations had on them and their families. JW, of course, has had a tremendous impact on others in so many different ways and we are glad to have had the opportunity to participate in honoring this one aspect of his legacy. Besides, there aren't too many other places where you can be surrounded by hundreds of people where being the parent of a deceased child is, unfortunately, the norm.
As indicated by the above picture and below video, Ariana got to break-in her Daddy's Uncle Johnny quilt this past weekend at her second birthday party as only a loving niece can.
Also, you can see the latest addition to the blog by scrolling down the right hand side where you will see all the quilts of JW, by Mom.
Below is a picture from this past weekend showing JW's brother's, sister's and parents' cars, along with the very first vehicle JW bought on his own -- quess which one was his.
Continuing a loving tradition, John's mom yesterday presented John's brother, Mike, with yet another quilt made out of remnants of John's clothing, this time in a Virginia Tech motif:
Being next in line, Mike's quilt was not a complete surprise, unlike John's sister-in-law, Gina's, likewise made with John's clothing, this time in a UConn motif:
Once again, future generations will come to know the warmth of JW's love through the loving efforts of John's mom.
In an earlier post, I wrote about Roger Rosenblatt's reflections in his book Kayak Morning several years after the death of his adult daughter. In this book, Rosenblatt quotes the Irish short story writer, Sean Ó Faoláin, as saying "that 'and' was the most hopeful word in the English language."
It is five years ago today, also on Holy Saturday, that JW's physical life here on earth came to an abrupt end. Five years ago that our first born son, a truly loving, thoughtful and giving soul who always made the most out of what he had, died. It was five years ago that life as we knew it ended.
And ...
Five years later your life as you lived it continues to serve as an inspiration to so many others. Your love for your family and friends and our love of you continues to have a powerful effect on so many others. Five years ago today my son, your earthly presence died ...
... and, on Easter Sunday 2007, your ultimate gift of life through the donation of your organs to a number of individuals brought joy to so many families;
... and, from the day of your funeral service (three years to the day before the birth of your first niece), the story of how you lived the last week of your life (even though you did not know it was so) as recounted in your eulogy, served as an impetus for reconciliation with estranged family members for several attendees;
... and, the memorial technologyfunds established in your memory have raised over $100,000.00 and continue to have a positive impact on so many people;
... and, a tradition that every year celebrates your love of family and friends and camaraderie at the time of your birthday has touched the lives of hundreds of people as indicated here, here, here, here, and here;
... and, you proved to be truly the BEST MAN at Mike & Gina's wedding;
... and, you continued to fulfill the role of big brother and serve as a source of inspiration to your your younger sister and brother;
... and, from your heavenly perch, you fulfill you crucial role as godfather to your niece, Ariana -- the first who gets to call you Uncle Johnny;
... and, through you mom's love and dedication, memories of you will keep members of current and future generations warm through the many quilts made from your cloths;
... and, you have inspired your dad to continue to strive to make a difference in the world if only to contribute a sliver to help fill the void left behind by your untimely demise;
... and, our love of you is as strong and powerful as ever, and cannot be diminished, even by death;
.JPG)
_2.jpg)