Celebration of Life in Death

A co-worker died unexpectedly a month ago from a choking accident that caused irreversible brain damage. Daren was my age, athletic, and full of life. I was so pained to hear of his passing. We had worked closely on a conversion project together and in the little time that I knew him, he struck me as such a warm, genuine, fun-loving person.

I wanted to share the details of the event his two close brothers have organized to celebrate his life.

Dear Friends & Family,

As Daren’s Celebration of Life approaches, we wanted to reach out to everyone and supply additional details related to the events on Saturday, Sept 19th. Daren's passing serves to remind us of how precious life is - our family, friends, and the times we have together are truly what matters most. With that said, let’s allow ourselves to have some fun on the 19th! There’s no doubt that Daren would want it that way.

The details of the day’s events are as follows:

Celebration of Life:
Location & Time: Aids Memorial Grove in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park (3:00PM – 6:00PM)
This portion of the day will include some speeches about Daren, an "open mic" segment for anyone who would like to share a story or special memory, as well as some musical performances. Beverages will be served. http://www.aidsmemorial.org/

Reception:
Location & Time: The Thirsty Bear Brewing Company (8:00PM – Midnight)
The Thirsty Bear is located 661 Howard Street near the corner of 3rd Street in San Francisco – a short distance from the hotels in Union Square and Fisherman’s Wharf. Light appetizers will be served and the kitchen will be open for dinner. http://www.thirstybear.com

Late Night Option:
Location & Time: XXXXXX (Midnight – 4AM)
Daren loved to dance and have a good time. In his honor, we will dance the night away at a good friend’s loft - a short walk from the Thirsty Bear. There will be DJs, an open bar, a pool table, and plenty of lounge space.

If you have any questions, please contact us. We look forward to seeing you all on the 19th!

Marc and Brian

If I died unexpectedly, I hope there are no tears, no churches, no cemeteries. They can be so depressing. We'll rent out CELLspace. Eat, drink, dance, and be merry. Please lots of lumpia and spinach dip from my family. Patsy, can you bring a vat of your tasty pulled pork? My wifie will make her signature Scrabble cupcakes. Let's also special order ice-cream cake and a very large pinata filled with the good stuff (Twix, Reese's, Ghiradelli, Godiva, and quarters for laundry). Don el wire and colorful costumes. Drink extra spicy bloody mary's. Take lots of pictures in the rented photo booth. My ashes must go to Bettie June for the temple burn. Because really, is there any better way to go?

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.