John's funeral was last Monday in California where his parents live. This afternoon they held a second service here in town for his local friends. The bulk of the Atalaya Search and Rescue team showed up. Some of the Albuquerque Mountain Rescue Association was there, a couple guys from Cibola Search and Rescue, even two people from Aspen Mountan Rescue. One of the guides from the avalanche course he was participating in when he died was there. The Mountain Rescue Association sent their honor guard, which involved full paramilitary outfits and a bagpiper. Atalaya put together a scrap book of photos from team practices and missions as well as stories people on the team had contributed and presented it to the family. I think his family was overwhelmed by the support.

I was very impressed by the SAR community and I'm honored to be a part of it.

Even though I had my differences with John, I think I gained some respect for him listening to what people had to say at his memorial. He had very strong beliefs and stuck to them without making a big show of it. I respect John for that.

...unlike his pastor, who led the memorial. There were repeated comments along the lines of, "if you don't live your life for Christ then your life is wasted regardless of your accomplishments." I, of course, take a great deal of personal offense to statements like that. Also heard was, "luckily John spent his life serving God and was therefore happy, unlike the broken and pain-filled lives of the godless." What an asshole. So I guess I found some of the religious commentary inappropriate despite the family being very religious and the service being held in a church.

I was struck by the extent to which the memorial centered around Christianity and not John. At times I felt like the whole thing was a sales pitch for Jesus.
I wish it could have been a memorial that was a bit more inclusive for everyone that might want to remember John.

If I died and they had a memorial in which the central message was, "if you're religious then you're worthless," I bet more people would find it inappropriate.

So, just a note to those who are around when I am not: please have a memorial that
A) has a celebratory atmosphere
B) does not make people whose beliefs differ from my own feel excluded
C) free tacos for everyone.

Oh yeah, and at one point they unexpectedly asked the officers of ASAR to stand up and accept a plaque. I'm one of the officers. And my leg was completely and totally asleep. So I had to hobble up there in front of everyone like a total gimp. hehe That was a little embarrassing.