Cherry Grove remembered our community’s losses in the annual Memorial Day service, conducted at the Community House on May 26 and coordinated by Roland Michely, who welcomed the assembled.
The Cherry Grove Community Association, Inc.’s Joyce Yaeger, citing Donna Tartt’s book “The Goldfinch,” considered the questions “What in life is true and lasting?” and “What lives after us?;” spoke of the memories and history we leave behind; and remembered contractor George Oakley, who had passed away the previous night.
The Arts Project of Cherry Grove’s (APCG) Thom “Panzi” Hansen said, “A somber occasion such as this is what makes Cherry Grove unique … This is home to me,” and said of George Oakley, “We shall remember how he loved Cherry Grove as much as we did.”
Roland read the names of those departed since last Memorial Day, including David Blaustein, Dennis McConkey’s longtime partner; Jim Bowers, Robert Hardwick’s longtime partner; Irene Burenstein, Danielle’s mother; Evelyn Cantwell, Beth’s mother; Tom Cunningham, New York City Gay Men’s Chorister; Dennis Clapton Daniel, Ken Lundy’s partner, from the Green Door; Laura Dunlop of the Cherry Grove Fire Department; John Eberhardt, creator of Belvedere and many houses in the East End of the Grove; Jack Hayes, Jack Sunshine’s partner; Gregory Klosek, this writer and Joe Saporito’s longtime friend; contractor Pete Lahny; Bill “Billy Ann Miller” LaMonica, longtime Grove performer and APCG treasurer; Lenny Levine, brother of Bob “Rose” Levine and devoted opera buff; San Francisco’s Empress I José Sarria, aka the Widow Norton, aka Mama, founder of the Imperial Court System and first openly gay political candidate for office in the United States; Irene Tavis, Joann’s mother; attorney Jim Fallon, who passed away several days before at age 97 and defended many Grove men who were harassed by police; and pets Chip, of Jake and Richard; Stella, of Anna and Henriette; and Ramses and Amun Ra, of this writer and Joe.
Pianist Gene Rohrer played contemplative pieces “Morgen,” from Richard Strauss’ “Four Last Songs,” and “Grace,” by Michael Tilson Thomas.
A moment of silence followed.