John Lundquist

I’ve been resisting writing this, like a child fighting sleep. The reality of John’s passing is still shimmering in the distance; not yet feeling absolute. Admitting that this part of John’s existence is over carries so much emotional weight. The knowing is still crushing. A large part of our lives has been torn away. John had an amazing twinkle in his eyes. It was reassuring and intriguing. You knew something was brewing. The sparkle in his eyes and the sly smile he had, was itself incredibly energizing. He was a fine leader and had that presence of being the adult in the room. He knew where the boundaries were and kept the big picture things in perspective for us. No matter what was happening, you knew that being with John, was being on an adventure. Even in the quiet, calm sitting-around-doing-nothing; there was always the feeling that there was an impending adventure at hand. His ability to improvise his way into an escapade made so many of us happy throughout his life. Venturing out into the world with John was so very satisfying because he took what was happening at the time and put his creative spin on it. His approach to dealing with the world was uniquely fascinating because it was so original. Rolling with John didn’t really lend itself to producing an overall plan for the entire day or evening or night. The fun in hanging with him was in doing what is happening now and seeing where that leads us next. Now that John has turned in his earth suit, it brings me comfort knowing that he is doing all the advance work for when we next meet up. I can imagine him saying “you should really check this out” … Being part of John’s life has been a rare honor. He allowed me to be a part of it all, and for that I consider myself very privileged. He truly was one of a kind, in the very best ways. His friendship and dignity will be with us always. When I think of all of the wonderful parts that make up the whole package, the trait that I recall most fondly is John’s kindness. Time after time, I have observed the big hearted love that he shared with others. He would let his light shine brightly with anyone who came into his orbit. When John showed kindness to strangers, as he often did, that was what melted my heart. He practiced the Golden Rule and made our world a much better place. Thinking back on all the times we had together, packs a trunkful of amazing memories. One remembrance is very special to me. It was the Dead show, with Garcia, that John took me and my 2 sons to when I was living in Pittsburgh. The kids were just elementary school age. It was the first and only Dead concert that my boys and I have ever been to. Another example of John sharing his kindness. John took my youngest by the hand and walked with him around the venue. I remember John telling me how tightly Glen held his hand when they went through the twirlers section. And that warms my heart whenever I think about it. John made all of our lives much deeper and richer by sharing his life with each of us. He will always be loved, and our time together will always be treasured.