Given our age difference (me being a decade and a half senior), we had a surprisingly large overlap in our contemporary music loves (and by contemporary I mean stuff that was new and fresh back in my long past youth, when I had hearing). He was a fan of Robyn Hitchcock, King Crimson (Neil, Jack and me era), Captain Beefheart, Eno, Peter Gabriel and Roger Waters too. BROTHER!
Harry Hamid AKA Jerry C Larson Jr was just 46 years old when he died this past Tuesday. He had done so damn much in his short life – so much good for those in need. He was a Supervising Staff Attorney with Houston Volunteer Lawyers (HVL) working in their HIV/AIDS unit. Before that he was the Executive Director of Southeast Texas Legal Clinic – their singular focus was representing people living with HIV/AIDS.
We lost a warrior.
At the begiining of May, when I was on the cliff edge of losing half my sight, Harry commented on my post Outta Control.
It's scary to think about. Feeling trapped and not being able to be independent entirely because of health issues is something I've been dealing with but had never given serious thought to before. I do now. You are able to approach these issues much more head-on than I am. I need that.I wanted to ask what do you have, what are you going though? Why didn’t I? I suppose I felt that if he wanted to say more, he would. I didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.
We commiserated on the intermidable wait times in the hospital on Bored Now.
In comments on The Struggle is Real – a silly post about my deep love of Ten’s brill cooking AND my unsurprising weight incrase (TWO pounds!)
Prior to getting sick in March, I had never prepared a meal that took longer to fix than it took to eat. Now that I"m eating through a stomach peg, I find myself obsessed with recipes and cooking for my parents, who are caring for me. Haven't tried quiche yet, but I'm learning, slowly, how to cook, so this illness has had some good come out of it.And, in the very last convo, we bitched about the the peurile nits who get 99 kinds of upset when women are cast to play their boy-crushes (Aliens on Dr. Who, Bond, etc.).
Damn.
I’m missing Harry.
I'm Just Wild About Harry – Judy Garland
I had the privilege of attending Harry/Jerry’s memorial service. It was a packed house including professional peers, family friends and children. Jerry was highly respected in the legal aid community and was described as non-judgmental, an active listener and an educator. The family was presented with a certificate from the Mayor declaring August 27 as Jerry Larson, Jr. Day. His brother Jeff gave a loving eulogy. He got teary at the beginning and the church deacon stepped up, wrapped an arm around Jeff and read the eulogy until he could continue. It was a touching moment. Jeff referred to Jerry’s heroes, favorite musicians and books. I remember Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters, William Burroughs and The Book by Alan Watts. I hope Jeff will post the text because the list was longer. Astro the cat has a good home. He lives with a delightful woman who has a young daughter that enjoys his furry companionship.
ReplyDeleteThank you SO much Pam.
DeleteVery nice tribute, Donna. He was a talented and gifted one-of-a-kind human.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThanks for the nice words about Harry. This is a little late but I thought I would post his heroes list that he had told us a few weeks prior.
ReplyDeleteMy Heroes
"William Douglas - on the Supreme Court for longer than any other person, 38 years. He wrote Griswald v Conn, which is what Roe v Wade is based on. He was an environmentalist. He was a great man.
Eugene Debs - He was a great legislator who tried to make the country a better place.
Alan Watts - Alan Watts is an Eastern Philosopher, he had a brilliant mind, he had a book called The Book, which is the best book ever written. He goes beyond Eastern Philosophy to the way minds really work.
Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel, his thinking, his music fills up my head with religion, politics and sociology, I think like I think because of Peter Gabrial.
Roger Waters from Pink Floyd, his politics are great. He is 74 years old, and he’s still making people mad.
William Burroughs - His brain is all messed up, but he thinks crooked.
Robert Anton Wilson - He is one of my favorite thinkers.
Those are my heroes, you're all my heroes, but those are my heroes that I don't know."
Thank you
Jeff
Thank you Jeff. Reading this is inspiring.
Delete