My nephew died on Monday, Jan. 5, 2009. He was 31 years old. We sat around the dinner table on Jan. 6th and told stories about him. It was very illuminating. When he was starting Kindergarten at age 5, my sister-in-law made sure he was ready for school, got him dressed, made his lunch and then packed him and his younger brother off to the bus stop. She waited and made sure that he made it on the bus ok. Then she packed the little brother into the car and drove to the school to watch her first born son walk into his first day of school. What a wonderful mom. After school she gathered her youngest son and went to the bus stop to meet JJ. When he got off the bus, he looked at her sternly and said, "This I do by myself", and he proceeded to walk home. He looked back to make sure that she was not following him. He wanted to do it by himself. He was his own man.
He did things his own way. JJ worked at a popular dive bar in San Diego. He closed up shop on Sunday night. JJ had been in a lot of pain. But JJ was wearing pain patches to ward off the pain from the injuries suffered in an SUV vs Pedestrian automobile accident 5 years ago. JJ was the pedestrian, on a skateboard. JJ spent 5 months in a rehab hospital, unable to speak because of the tracheotomy tube in his throat. JJ closed the bar that he loved. I am told he had a great night. I am told that he closed up the bar.
Somewhere between clean up and go home time JJ succumbed to the pain. The official cause listed is an accidental overdose of pain medication. He wore too many patches. He died alone in the bar early Monday morning of January 5, 2009. His best friend found his body in the morning. Tears were shed. Calls were made. The Medical Examiner came. Investigated. JJ died alone in the early morning hours. By the time his body was removed to a mortuary there were nearly two hundred of his friends outside to say goodbye.
JJ's memorial service was this past Monday, Jan. 12, 2009. The church was filled with his family and friends. His mother spoke. JJ was always there for his friends. If you needed a place to stay, go to JJ's. If you needed a dollar or two, go see JJ. He was a kind-hearted soul. His motto was "I may not be here for a long time but I am here for a good time". After the memorial service at the church, every one went over to his mom and stepdad's house for a true Irish wake. It was beautiful to see all of JJ's friends stop by to pay their respects. I will never forget it. The guest book had over 3oo signatures, some of them from families. The estimates were that there were 600 people at the church. He sure had an affect on people. He will be greatly missed. I apologize for not writing this earlier.
Uncle D.
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