Sad news
By Thoreau
Jennifer has posted a tribute, better than I could write, to a man whom we both knew as “J sub D” on the intertubes. Those who knew him on the intertubes knew a lot about him, and we knew that he was battling lung cancer. He had told some of his intertubes friends that if it got to the terminal stage he’d check into a hospice and let us know that he was on his way out, so at first when we didn’t hear from him we assumed he was just busy. But we kept on not hearing about him, and we got worried, and then eventually Jennifer found this article. What none of us knew was that he was homeless, and that at the end he was alone.
I know that he didn’t want us to know that he was homeless, but if he had been able (or willing) to tell us that he was going to a nursing home or hospital we would have found a way to stay in contact with him, to keep him from feeling alone at the end. But now he’s gone, and we are worse off for the absence of our friend.
If you read the comments on the article, you’ll see comments that are apparently from relatives, and like most families (and especially most families with a homeless member) the relationships were complicated. They are taking care of his burial, so there’s no need for donations there. However, I’ll be making a donation to I Am My Brother’s Keeper , the shelter where he apparently spent his last months.
Comment by rather —
May 10, 2011 @ 11:49 pm
I’m brokenhearted that he never said anything. I weep for him now
Comment by Highway —
May 11, 2011 @ 12:11 am
Well, sad as the information is, it’s good to know what has happened to a person who was always thought-provoking and interesting.
Thank you.
Comment by suffer —
May 11, 2011 @ 7:43 am
awww man. I’m mostly a lurker, but I really appreciated J sub D’s commnets. Thanks for the update.
Comment by Pro Libertate —
May 11, 2011 @ 8:33 am
I just heard about this from VM. I had no idea.
I don’t know what to say, except that I’ll miss him.
Comment by Nooge —
May 11, 2011 @ 9:35 am
Damn. I read his great posts for years. RIP JsubD. I didn’t know you IRL, but you spoke your mind and spoke it well.
Pingback by J sub D, RIP - Hit & Run : Reason Magazine —
May 11, 2011 @ 9:49 am
[...] Update: Tributes from Jennifer Abel, D.A. Ridgely, and Dr. Thoreau. [...]
Comment by NoStar —
May 11, 2011 @ 10:49 am
I made a donation to Reason magazine since it was through their Hit&Run blog that I “knew” J sub D.
Comment by Someone Who Doesn't Want to Lose His Job —
May 11, 2011 @ 1:01 pm
This is very sad news.
Comment by Jennifer —
May 11, 2011 @ 1:09 pm
Jeff and I also made a donation to the homeless shelter, in memory of John Hannah.
Comment by bzial —
May 11, 2011 @ 1:53 pm
Oh my. I had no idea.
RIP.
Comment by Jose Ortega y Gasset —
May 11, 2011 @ 2:06 pm
I’ll throw in a donation myself.
Comment by VikingMoose —
May 12, 2011 @ 6:45 am
NoStar!!!!
it’s nice to see your handle again. How are you? While “recovery” is not exactly the right term, “continued best thoughts on the road to new physical and emotional equilibrium” is too bulky.
How about – it’s great seeing you again, and will keep the positive vibes heading your way
(ProGLib – Highnumber told us. You know how he gets)
Pingback by Farewell, JsubD | The Bawdy House Provisions —
May 12, 2011 @ 9:25 am
[...] loss is felt by many of us, including D.A., Jesse Walker, Jennifer Abel, Radley Balko, Dr. Thoreau, even though we never had the opportunity to meet him. Detroit Free Press writer Mitch Albom wrote [...]
Comment by Pro Libertate —
May 12, 2011 @ 12:07 pm
Oh, apologies to highnumber. You Chicagoans all look alike to me, you know. Caused me endless trouble when I was in school up there.
Pingback by Chief John Hanna, USN « William The Coroner’s Forensic Files —
May 12, 2011 @ 1:39 pm
[...] It made me cry. But the Feral Genius has a point, which she makes in the addendum to her post: Thoreau at Unqualified Offerings suggests making donations to I Am My Brother’s Keeper, the homeless shelter where John spent [...]
Comment by the innominate one —
May 12, 2011 @ 2:56 pm
Sad news, indeed. We need more thoughtful people like J sub D, not fewer.
Fair winds and following seas, sailor.