Memorial for Stu

About 300 people gathered in the park on a beautiful afternoon to celebrate Stu Sugarman's life and work with stories, laughter, and many tender hugs. He was a great defender of the earth itself--vegan, promoting bikes over cars, defending tree-huggers and whales, kayaktivists and bridge-danglers. He fought for occupiers and the evicted, for rebels and dreamers. A great many bike-riders showed up to pay their respects. Again and again, people held their arms wide, talking about Stu, attempting to describe his big fat generous heart. We heard how Stu bought a street vendor an umbrella when he saw the vendor's umbrella was busted. He got people out of jail more times than anyone ever counted. He brought people food when they were hungry. He didn't smoke, but he'd buy a man a pack of cigarettes if he needed them. All of us felt Stu made us feel like better people than we are. He saw us as more of whatever we tried to be, he saw us as we want to be. We will miss him for the rest of our lives. I took many portraits of kindness, the kindness in people's faces as they thought of Stu's kindness to them. I've uploaded an album of Memorial pictures to another place.