1960-2013, So. Burlington

Junior’s Lament

A son who stayed so close to his mother’s keep

With a heart of gold, full of love, now rests at his father’s feet

Among the silence when so many failed to speak

You declare emergency with sirens blaring for the weak. 

So damn blunt, he immediately had you on the ropes. But with his extraordinary sense of humor, you’d find that footing to pull yourself up. His independent lifestyle full of raw energy, new ideas and excitement inspired so many to follow his lead. The choices people made after crossing Junior’s path gave birth to real change, which evolved into an incredible punk scene, where self-awareness exploded into a genuine alternative lifestyle we now call cool.

Oh, and there were the stories! Holy shit, his endless stories, you would have thought he lived a double life … and he did. Junior’s ferocious love of all animals was infectious. He adored children to the point of sainthood, and his passion for controversial art became his signature to everyone who met him.

How it is that one man can possess all of these things? Because his family and friends needed him to.

Junior, you broke the ice, broke the rules and you broke our hearts. Thank you and farewell, my brother, my friend, the original son.

-Dana Shepard