Sad News about johna
 

I just saw this posted in the General Travel Talk forum and thought it should also be posted here.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum94/HTML/003697.html

I too pass on my condolences.

Times like these when you count your blessings and forget about all the small stuff (and compared to this, it's all small stuff).

This is terrible news. My thoughts and prayers are with him, his loved ones, and his friends. Blessed be his memory.

On Sunday February 4th, friends, family and the FlyerTalk Community lost a kind and gentle soul in the passing of John A.

Having just returned from a trip to France, John was admitted to the hospital last week and released just a few days ago, however, complications resulting from his longtime struggle with AIDS proved too much for his immune system.

While preparing for his trip to France, we had traded travel books, mine a book on shopping and dining in Paris, his, a book on Tanzania, where he had planned on traveling to but had to cancel due to health issues some time ago. Upon his return from Paris, he sent me a note describing a chocolate shop from my travel book that was quite a find and thanked me for lending him my book. While my trip to Kenya and Tanzania is planned for 2002, I’ll remember his friendship and will be thinking of him while gazing upon Mt. Kilimanjaro and enjoying the serenity of the plains.

Family and friends are encouraged to remember John's life by joining in his internment at the Hills of Eternity Cemetery in Colma, CA at 1 p.m. on Thursday 2/8/2001. Following will be a memorial service at Temple Sha'ar Zahav, corner of Dolores St. & 16th St. at 3 p.m. and a reception immediately following at his home at 207 Corbett Ave. SF.

In lieu of gifts and flowers, John’s family has requested that memorial donations be made to Project Open Hand at 2720 - 17th St., SF CA 94110 or AIDS Benefits Counselors, 470 Castro St., SF CA 94114.

John had recently written a reply on FT regarding his attending a planned FT gathering in Oakland, CA this Friday and said “…I should be able to make it...assuming United doesn't come up with too tempting an e-fare elsewhere that weekend!”. I think John just got the ultimate e-fare, my condolences and prayers are with his family and friends.


[This message has been edited by raffy (edited 02-07-2001).]

My heart is broken as I mourn the loss of my dear friend John. Truly a gentleman and a scolar.

Please post the date and time of his services so we can book tickets ASAP.

Thanks, Punki

This is indescribably sad. Just last weekend, Craig6z and I were commenting that johna had not posted much in a while and that we hoped he was OK.

10 years is a lot better than 18 months, I guess, but science still has a long way to go in understanding and treating this disease.

Here's hoping that the organizations mentioned above now receive an avalanche of contributions from all over the world.

Let the Father of peace send peace to all who mourn, and comfort the bereaved among us. Amen.

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Help!: the e-mail didn't give a date for the service.

Fellow FT'ers, the date of the service will be this Thursday, 2/8/2001. Please see my post above for the details of his service.

raffy

My condolences and prayers to the friends and family of johna. Although we never met, I enjoyed his posts very much. He will be missed. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

-RKG

My heart is heavy with sadness. I will miss johna.

Linda

I am deeply saddened. I never had the chance to meet John in person, but I had the privilege of communicating with him via e-mail when he discovered that we went to the same college in New England. At the time, he was planning to return to our alma mater's campus for the first time in more than a decade for an alumni mentoring event. I couldn't make it, but I believe he did. I wish I was there to see the smile on his face when he caught another glimpse of the beautiful fall foliage that envelopes the Purple Valley during that time of year.

Add my condolences as well. I lurk in several groups, and there are certain people that have consistantly displayed their true class and insight. Johna will be missed....

I'm in shock. I spoke with John a couple of days ago. He had just gotten out of the hospital, said he was feeling pretty good, and spoke about how he was looking forward joining us at the FlyerTalk dinner in Oakland next Friday.

My heart goes out to John's family tonight.

There's a nice picture of John towards the bottom of the page at http://www.dgolds.com/FTHyattLunch/FTHyattLunch.htm

[This message has been edited by dgolds (edited 02-05-2001).]

Thank you David for sharing a picture of our dear friend John who we have all loved, cherished and will miss.

If there is anyone who would like to attend his services but is having any problem with tickets or lodging, please e-mail me.

The cats and I extend our sympathies to JohnA's family and all his multitudes of friends who loved him.

It's so strange... as I was planning the Catman DO Trois I was thinking about JohnA and FINALLY having the chance to seeing some theatre with him and spending time with him during the weekend. What I loved about JohnA is we shared a love of the arts and life and I admired all the travel he has done.

I am glad to have had the chance ot see him in Montreal last June and to talk. I also helped him in his presentation of foreign currency to his parents.

John A is a class act, a first rate friend and I for one will miss him at the DO.