Lots of heartfelt and deserving tributes to the popular classmates who departed; not so much for the quiet invisible ones. I was close friends with John in elementary school in the south Prospect St neighborhood - no contact after that, He was a sweet, kind and gentle kid who only wanted to have fun and meant no harm. He had a drunken father who beat John and his mother without mercy. I still remember the looks of terror in John's eyes and the screams emanating from the house. It made me appreciate the difference between my mother's enthusiastic guiding spankings and a true beating. Life is a hard road and to begin it in terror must be crippling. I don't know if John found peace in life or not. I hope he did. I hope he now rests in peace.
Dan Fitzgerald
Lots of heartfelt and deserving tributes to the popular classmates who departed; not so much for the quiet invisible ones. I was close friends with John in elementary school in the south Prospect St neighborhood - no contact after that, He was a sweet, kind and gentle kid who only wanted to have fun and meant no harm. He had a drunken father who beat John and his mother without mercy. I still remember the looks of terror in John's eyes and the screams emanating from the house. It made me appreciate the difference between my mother's enthusiastic guiding spankings and a true beating. Life is a hard road and to begin it in terror must be crippling. I don't know if John found peace in life or not. I hope he did. I hope he now rests in peace.
Gary Aikin