Rest in peace, my friend

A Eulogy

Today, we held the funeral service of Maestro Augusto Giuseppe da San Donato. I was asked to give a eulogy for my friend and I would like to share it with as many people as possible. I honestly did not know what to say until I stepped up to the podium, and I just started speaking. This is my best recollection of what I had said:

I met Joe 17 years ago (Monte's phone went off at that point with what sounded like Linus and Lucy.) Joe always wanted his own theme music. I met Joe almost 17 years ago. I was running a large and complicated event called Ice Dragon and Joe showed up to make sure that Colleen had not joined a cult. Once he saw that we weren't a cult, he wasn't satisfied with standing around watching. Joe and Colleen showed up the night before and helped move tables and chairs. Hang banners. Joe even went out and hung street signs. Joe and Colleen worked until well after midnight. The following morning, Joe was there with a snow shovel and a bucket of salt and he cleared away the snow so that no one would slip. From that day, Joe made the SCA his second home. Learning how our organization operated, becoming an officer and eventually the president of the Niagara County chapter. (I used that phrase for Joe's family, who were outnumbered 7 to 70 SCAdians) He made banner poles, pavilion poles. Found canvas for a new pavilion. Gates, trailers, fire rings. He fell in love with the SCA and made it his mission to make it better for everyone.  

That was Joe. 

Not only did he bring his skill and enthusiasm, he brought his network. We always said, "Joe knows a guy." Need someone who can fix an Edwardian stained glass windows because your Mom dropped a vacuum cleaner on it? Joe knew a guy. Need 200 pounds of rebar for a project? Joe knew a guy. Looking for a 30 year old bottle of scotch for that perfect birthday present that won't break the bank? Joe knew a guy.  

And we all knew Joe. He was our "guy". Dropped your keys down a storm drain? We knew a guy who would show up with a heavy fishing line and a magnet. Broken water pipe in the middle of the night? We knew a guy who would show up with tools to fix it, then help you with the clean up. Stuck in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire and a 5 hour backlog at AAA? We knew a guy who would show up with a floor jack and an impact wrench. Need help tracking down a strange smell in your kitchen? We knew a guy who would sniff down that smell.  

And Joe knew us. We became part of his network. Someone looking for a musician who can play at a wedding at the last minute? Joe knew one of us. Someone looking for help with silk screening? Joe knew one of us. Need a roofer right away? Joe knew one of us. And Joe used his network to introduce his friends to new friends. That was Joe.

Joe could never let something stand as "good enough". It was never "good enough" for Joe. Over the years, that was a source of disagreement between us. If something broke, and we were on a deadline, I had no problem with using baling wire and duct tape to get it "fixed" enough so that last until a proper repair could be made. Joe hated that. He always said that if you don't do it right the first time, you will never go back and fix it properly later. That was Joe. 

 Joe could never leave something alone without trying to improve it. He was that way with his welding, woodworking and metal working. He was also that way with his friends. He tried to have a kind word of encouragement for almost everyone he met. Or, at least, a snarky comment to light a fire in the belly. He tried to see the best in almost everyone and tried to make people see it in themselves. 

I will grieve for the passing of my friend, but I will not let it diminish me. I know that I am a better person because I was a friend of Joe.

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Dani said in her eulogy that when he was depressed, Joe would pine that if he died no one would care or show up. Over a hundred people showed up to the viewings and the service to say goodbye. I have been told that the news of his passing spread through that Facebook thing like a wildfire. SCAdians, absent for too many years, showed up to say goodbye. We will be holding a proper wake in a week and we are expecting a packed hall.

We have cried an ocean of tears for the unexpected, meaningless and unfair taking of our friend. But we will not let each other drown in our grief. We are united in the fact that we all knew a guy.

https://aethelmearcgazette.com/2017/10/31/in-memoriam-maestro-augusto-giuseppe-da-san-donato/

A look at all of the scrolls that Joe was blessed with.