Friends of Jonathan Gorrie

Friday, February 13, 2009

Jonathan was music. Charlotte recently gave me one of Jonathan's guitars to care for and play. It's a Gretsch 1957 Silver Jet. Simply gorgeous. I've been playing it out when our band has a performance. I left the strings on it that he had on it. When I play it I feel humble, like I'm praying, giving Jonathan a voice here on earth. I'm thinking, he's probably smiling when I play it. Jonathan was not only music, he was smiles. I always loved Jonathan's smile. Live on, Jonathan.
David, his stepfather

Monday, October 6, 2008

"When Autumn Leaves Start to Fall...."

Jonathan's birthday is October 11th.
He would be 39.
He'll never, ever grow old.
Light a candle for him.
Hug someone.
Think "love."

Jonathan's Mom

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Keep Jonathan in Your Heart...Photos to Make You Smile...with Love from Jonathan's Mom

Thank You, "Michael"

Thank you so much for the "word tribute" to Jonathan. His life truly was a beautiful tapestry, just as you have woven it together, with such love and thoughtfulness, for us to see. Your kindness is a big part of my healing process. Thank you again.
Jonathan's Mom

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Words Are All I Have

From Michael

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Time Traveller

I’ll tell them all you’ve gone to San Francisco
I haven’t got a clue when you’ll be back
You’ve always had an appetite for travelling
And now, it seems, you’ve tried a different track.

That rainy night they told me you had “passed away”…
That crazy call, it made no sense to me
The only way to wrap my head around it
Was rushing to you there so I could see.

Your arms were cool and soft beneath my fingers
I stroked them with a purpose for awhile
I swore I felt a pulse there in the veins beneath your skin
And you looked as if,
At any moment,
You’d wake up
And smile.

How does one accept the fact a loved one’s “gone away”
That the house the spirit lived in is no more
How will my tomorrows feel without you here today
Tapping at the window…coming in the door.

I’ll just pretend that you’re in San Francisco
You’ll write or call as soon as things slow down
I’m sure you’re busy making friends, but don’t forget I’m here
And, meantime, I’ll just say you’re out of town.

By Patricia White
(Jonathan’s mother)

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Photos from Patterson Park Summer Music Series

Message from Jonathan's mother

My Dearest Son, Jonathan...

This is not the natural order of things. You are supposed to still be here. You did everything right to live to be 110. I could not have imagined Life without you in the world, without your bright light always shining from within, warming... with your beautiful smile, laughter, twinkle of the eyes... the hearts of everyone who passed your way. You spread such joy.

Truly lovable, truly loving, so kind, so genuinely good and gentle of soul and manner... the sound of somany hearts breaking from your abrupt passing away from us must be resounding around the globe and out into the universe among the stars.

We all loved you so much, my dear boy.

I don't know when, or if ever, this tsunami of grief will ever end.

Are you here, even now? Just invisible? Are you wrapping yourself around us with your aura, your beautiful spirit and soul? Are you putting your arms around me, looking me gently in the eyes, and saying softly, in my heart, "I'm okay, Mom. I'm okay."

I love you, Jonathan.

Your loving Mother.

Posting to this blog

If you would like to add a posting to this blog, you will need to know the user name and password. Please contact friendsofjonathangorrie@gmail.com and we can walk you through it, you'll need the password. I believe to post a comment all you would need is an e-mail account. If you have any problems at all, we would gladly post for you, just send us comments, photos, etc.. via e-mail to friendsofjonathangorrie@gmail.com.

Please feel free to pass this information along to anyone who you think would like to add to this blog.

I hope we all can find comfort and peace in sharng our stories with each other.

With much grief!
Jamie Wilson

Jonathan's Bio from The Bobwhites web page

Jonathan Gorrie is originally from Philadelphia, but was raised most of his childhood in rural Maine. He began teaching himself to play guitar around age twelve, playing mostly with his older brothers who were also self-taught musicians, until high school when he played in the jazz band and various rock bands. Not long after moving to Baltimore he hooked up with eccentic performance art band Lambs Eat Ivy and joined the trio for a creative and productive two years, playing in such prestigous venues as the Whitney museum in New York, Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and the Corcoran gallery in Washinton, D.C. After the band split, he found himself in San Francisco for a year, where he collaborated with former Big Dipper bassist Steve Michener on a country single, a cover of the forgotten Jags new wave hit "Back of my Hand", on which he played guitar, piano, and sang. After moving to Westminster, Maryland, he joined the country/rock flavored Dixie Hiway Band and spent a year or so playing in various honky tonks and old man lodges from Hagerstown to Charlestown, West Virginia. But after moving back to Baltimore in 1997, commuting to these exotic locales no longer seemed practical. But when he ran into drummer Chris at the ice cream shop on Coldspring Lane and got a job restoring furniture with fellow guitarist John, it just seemed like fate...thus, the Bobwhites...