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Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Reflections of an accidental pigeon fancier on the death of `Pigeon Man'

From writer Bill Breedlove, via e-mail:

I'm writing you about the story in today's paper regarding the "Pigeon Man," who was killed yesterday in a van accident.  Many times I had viewed him with a curious mixture of amusement and amazement while waiting about nine hours to get through the intersection of Western and Lawrence.  I never thought to speak to him.

For the last several years, I have lived directly across the street from Palmer Square park, and one night while walking my dog in the pouring rain, I came upon a box that evidentially been left on a park bench. 

Inside the box was some millet seed and a bunch of bird droppings, and next to the box, apparently having just escaped from it, was a shivering all-white bird  (which I initially thought was a chicken).  My girlfriend and I were at a loss as to what to do, but it was clear we couldn't just leave the bird there. 


So, we took it home and placed it in the bathtub while we tried to a) figure out what to do; and b) keep the exceptionally-interested dog from having a snack.

To make a long story short, the bird turned out to be a pigeon, of the Utility King variety. 

These pigeons are bred for food (squab), and cannot live outside, because they don't know how to survive like feral pigeons.  So, we were stuck with this pigeon.  This led to a long period where I discovered an entire, amazing "pigeon subculture." 

Like most people, I thought of pigeons hardly at all, or if I did, vaguely as "rats with wings."  However, there are many web sites devoted to pigeons and people who really care about them.  Turns out pigeons have a pretty interesting history and are far from the "flying vermin" people think they are.

There is a store on Belmont (Belmont Feed and Seed) that actually specializes in pigeons, I went there to get some food, and in the back they have about 50 different kind of pigeons for sale:  racers, rollers, fantails, etc.  I had no idea there were even so many varieties of pigeons.  About $500 later, I had a large enclosure, food and everything else a pigeon could ever want.

I also found out that I had inadvertently become a desperado--Chicago is unique among cities in that it is illegal to keep a pet pigeon.  I am a writer, so I spent a great deal of time working out of my home office, and also spent time with the pigeon, who was now named "Sophie."  As I came to find, pigeons are exceptionally smart birds, and great companions.  In the wild, pigeons mate for life, and both parents take turns sitting on the eggs and raising the young.  If one of the pair dies, the other one will never mate again.

Anyway, discovering this whole new world about pigeons was really interesting, and it made me really think about some of the things the "Pigeon Man" said in the 2004 story.  I can understand and empathize with his love of pigeons and, more importantly, his caring for other living creatures.

In a strange way, it may be a mixed blessing for the "Pigeon Man," since apparently last week a couple of aldermen proposed $1,000 fines (per incident) for feeding pigeons.  Imagine the impact on someone like him if that ordinance was passed and took effect.

So, the real reason I am writing you is I'm wondering if he has any family who will cover the expenses of a funeral or cremation.  If not, I would like to contribute to helping defray those expenses to whatever extent I can.  Any assistance you could provide in pointing me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.

Update:  A colleague who is working on a follow-up story says Zeman's  family is requesting that  donations in his name be made to the Anti-Cruelty Society. See Thursday's Tribune for more.



Yes, one of adlerman is Danny Solis who should worrying more about the high crime in his ward ( I live there) than wasting time and tax dollars messing around with pigeons. Get A Grip Danny!

I know there are going to be some really angry reactions to what I'm about to write!
But I don't give a damn, they've never had to live with an insane pigeon lover near them!

Until a few months ago, I & my neighbors had inflicted upon our houses the residue of hundreds & hundreds of pigeons because just down the alley from us was yet another of these delusional fools that feeds the pigeons.
This went on for years.
This mentally ill old fool would open a window in his apartment & dump 10 or more pounds of birdseed into the alley every day.
Then someone in his building smelled something odd & the police went in & found him dead.
I am not exaggerating when I tell you that not one single person mourned his death, not one!
We were sick of the pigeons & their crap everywhere. We were sick of having it land on our cars, patio furniture & of course us when outside!

It took the owner at least a month to clean out & fix up the apartment, partly because our block's pigeon man let these flying rats into his apartment & they obviously crapped all over it!
We never could find out why the owner didn't kick this guy out when his lease was up.

We don't have many pigeons around us anymore, they left for other locations.
Good riddance to him & the pigeons!

The "Pigeon Man" of Lawrence & Western (there are plenty of pigeon persons around at other locations, of course) was the subject of a major newspaper story about a year ago. A few months ago I saw what looked like a documentary crew making a film or videotape of him "in action." Does anyone know anything about this project?

Years ago, when I was a guest at the Gray Bar Hotel in LA, I was housed in maximum security with an inmate who raised racing pigeons.
When I showed an interest in Joe the Birdman's hobby, he proceeded to tell me everything I ever wanted to know about pigeons; their history, breeding, racing and the lucrative business of culling to a white flock of homing pigeons to release at weddings and funerals for big profit. When you release the white "doves", they circle around until they get their bearings and then fly home. When you get back to your house, the pigeons are already home in their coops. Easy money!

Remember those scenes in "Forrest Gump" when Bubba tells Forrest about the shrimping business, ad infinitum? Well, that was like me and the Birdman talking about pigeons. Since we had plenty of time on our hands, he taught me how to build coops and breeding sheds, the intricacies of pigeon behavior, how to breed them, how to train them to return home, his theories on how birds navigate, and even pigeon psychology.
It was fascinating.

I know feral pigeons are a nuisance in the cities, but let's not lump all pigeon lovers into one flock of urban kooks and eccentrics.

I feel bad about the pigeon man's untimely demise under the wheels of an SUV, god rest his soul.

Remember the old lady on the steps of the bank in "Mary Poppins?"
You may not have the heart to "feed the birds" but you can mourn the loss of an innocent, peaceful man on the tough streets of Chicago.

what a lovely gesture from bill breedlove. i'm no pigeon fan, but the sentiment and outpouring is touching.

Garry, I am with you all the way. Keeping pigeons in one's own home is quite a different matter from encouraging them to congregate on other people's property.

It's terrible for any person to lose their life in such a horrible way, but I'm not sorry to see him (and hopefully the pigeons) go.

Pigeons may be "God's creatures" but their droppings are a legitimate health concern. Cryptococcus neoformans is found in pigeon droppings. When dried bird droppings are stirred up, this releases dust containing Cryptococcus into the air, which can cause fungal infections. The risk is especially high for children, the elderly, and people with suppressed immune systems. If this weren't bad enough, rats also feed off pigeon droppings.

Solis is right to enforce the ban. No one has to pay the $1000 if they simply **follow the law**.

The Pigeon Man was repeatedly asked NOT to feed pigeons because of these health issues, and he steadfastly refused. Someone who willfully endangers the health of others is not a good neighbor, no matter how whimsical.

I will miss seeing Joseph Zeman walk down my block with his baby jars full of bird feed in tote. He was always pleasant and if you took the time to say hello he would be more than happy to stop and chat. The flowers and candle sit beside his fire hydrant at Lawrence/Western tonight in memory of a man who loved his winged friends...it's just as simple that!

I guess you need to be a writer in order to appreciate the majesty and noble qualities of a rodent with wings.

And Peter: I guess you need to be a cold-hearted cynic NOT to appreciate the majesty and noble qualities of a fellow human being, no matter how alien his life and interests seem to you.

When I was a kid, we lived across the street from what was called the Clarendon Beach House. (There had once been a beach there). It was the world headquarters for pigeons. In later years, I guess they removed the towers from the building to make it a less attractive roost.

In the suburb where I live now, there are no pigeons but there are seagulls. (I have no idea why that is.) I think I prefer the seagulls. Going past the Jewel dumpster is kind of like going to Cape Cod.

Thank you for taking the time to mention Joe Zeman in your column. The attention his untimely death has received has been a great comfort to his sister and other members of his family. Being the unique individual he was, Joe was frequently misunderstood and given a hard time. It is good to learn of the many people whose lives he touched in a positive way.
In one of the comments listed, someone asked about a film crew seen filming him a few months ago. These were film students from Columbia College doing a project for a class. The movie will not be released anywhere.
Thank you to all who saw him and wondered and especially to the many who stopped to talk and be kind to him over the years.

ZORN NOTION -- Maybe that film could be turned into a YouTube video or some news outlet would be interested in "airing" it online.

Garry and Ange, PLEASE stop spreading misinformation. Everyday contract with other humans is a far more dangerous to one's health than any pigeon dropping could ever be. Pigeons are gentle, harmless creatures who add a little bit of nature's beauty to the city.

Also, it's rather chilling to me that you find more tragedy in some ruined patio furniture than in the lonely, friendless death of an elderly neighbor.

It's a good thing I just read through a 100 or so sweet comments from people grieving Mr. Zeman's death (several of whom were looking out for him while he was alive) in the article about him or I would be losing some of my faith in humanity right now.

I find it difficult to comprehend the lack of empathy exhibited by those individuals who have chosen to post negative statements about Mr. Zeman. You should be ashamed of yourselves. A man was killed in a tragic accident yesterday, yet people still find the time to complain. Perhaps we should complain about drivers who apply make-up, paint their nails, talk on their cell phones, shave, or do anything else but pay attention behind the wheel. These individuals threaten the safety of others, not an old man who found joy in feeding birds.

Thank you, Eric, for sharing this letter with your readers.

Joe was my second cousin and the comments of your sympathetic readers are of great comfort to his family.

There is a video of Joe, titled "pigeon man," perched on his hydrant with his feathered friends, on YouTube.


Thank you, Joe, for showing us that no creature is so small as to not deserve love and compassion, no creature so great that it need not show kindness.

For all the kind hearted people who expressed sympathy and interest in Joseph Zeman, please read his obituary Friday in the Chicago Tribune. Please know that the many who talked to him, waved to him and even gave him money for bird food, made him very happy. These birds were his "declared family" and his human family is very grateful that he was appreciated and that he will not have to battle the new city law concerning feeding pigeons. It would have broken his heart.
Joe's sister, Charleen

Ah, Garry, I work for the city and deal with people like you every day. If it was not for people like "pigeon man" this town would be Wilmette South. Glad he's dead? Good for you, old boy. I'm sure you will be getting a write up in the paper when your time comes. Sounds like you have many friends and are a positive contributor to your community. The former City of Big Shoulders is now the city of Professional Whiners. Hose down the porch, flip the property like you planned, and move on. Have a wonderful day Garry.

Jessica: Nowhere did I write that pigeons had anything detrimental to people's health. I wrote that we were sick & tired of the filth they left behind!

And don't give me that crap that pigeons are harmless!
I have never forgotten that many years ago while walking through Grant Park, I was attacked by a huge flock of pigeons. I hadn't done a damn thing to them, except to walk on the path just above the IC tracks.

As for the lonely friendless death of pigeon man, you live a hundred feet from one of these people, you'll see why he was lonely, but he wasn't friendless. He let every street bum in the neighborhood spend time with him. One of them was a guy named Leonard. Leonard spent most of his time living on a patch of ground that the park district had bought for a park, but hadn't landscaped yet. When the park district decided to fix it up, they made Leonard move. Then they found out that they had to bring in a special crew to sterilize the area that Leonard lived in.

This country has completely failed in treating mentally ill people. You & Janie obviously don't have to live around them & the problems they cause. The police both can't & don't want to deal with them & there really isn't anyone else to do so. I believe that two mentally ill men have been killed by the Chicago Police in the last 60 days, which is why the police hate have to do the job of dealing with a violent & disturbed individual. In both cases, the families called the police to "handle" the man, & now are sorry they ever brought the cops into do anything. So what happens is that nothing is done for them until they do something so outrageous or violent, that the police are forced into the situation.

And the rest of us, we suffer!

I'm all out of compassion!

Merry Christmas, Garry and Ange.

I wonder who'll ever mourn your flinty souls when it's your turn to bite the dust?

The Pigeon Man left a lot of positive emotions behind him. As for the pigeon droppings, they eventually wash off in the rain.

But comments like yours will follow you forever - like the bad vibes you leave in your wake.

The real story is how driver carelessness (or indifference) can have such a devastating result. I hope this would at least give some drivers pause when they realize they could have to live with the fact that they killed someone.

Ah, Phillip,
I deal with city employees like you every day.
I wish this was Wilmette South!
If you have a problem there, it gets fixed.
I had to complain for 10 years about sewer backups before the city finally cleaned the sewer line. Of course the real reason was because the alderman also got his basement flooded by the same rainstorm, so he finally made the connection between heavy rain & sewer backups. And the sewer was cleaned by Municipal Sewer Services!

Now I read Barbara Mahany's article on Zeman.
He was brain damaged as a child, treated miserably in a state hospital. OK, I'm sorry that happened to him, but & it's a big but, there's more to the story.
He has a sister in California.
Why wasn't he living with her if he was such a nice gentle man? Is it possible that she couldn't deal with his eccentricities either? And so we were forced to!

When you live in the city, you also agree to abide with the social contract.
That means you don't bother other people if at all possible. You don't make a lot of noise, you keep your yard clean & you don't feed the pigeons!
Guess what?
They'll survive fine without your food.

And jkundra, no the pigeon droppings won't wash off in the rain!
Go take a look at all the railroad viaducts in this city that corroding away from the acidic reaction between water & pigeon crap several inches thick.

And Steve, definitely driver carelessness, but also pedestrian carelessness. Walking across the intersection of Devon & McCormick is scary! you had better watch out for yourself here even more than other places. There isn't any traffic enforcement here because the corner is shared by Lincolnwood & Chicago, Lincolnwood doesn't want to get involved with the mess of the city & Chicago just doesn't give a damn for so many reasons. It's at the border of the police district. Most Chicago cops that are around there are going to play with guns at the gun shop on the Lincolnwood side of Devon.

And when I croak, call up the city & throw my now useless body into the back of the nearest garbage truck & cart it off to the landfill. I won't have any more need of it!
As an atheist, Bah Humbug to all & to all, why do you worship an imaginary fantasy being in the sky?

Garry: Why do people worship an "imaginary fantasy being in the sky", you ask?

Apparently because it gives them a sense of compassion, perspective, and empathy--all of which you appear to be sorely lacking.

As a fellow atheist, if I thought for a red-hot moment that atheism made me susceptible to any of your attitudes, I would convert to some major religion in a SECOND.

I used to live just south of Mr. Zeman's "perch" on Western and frequently saw him when I would drive home from work. When that article came out about him several years ago I was amazed that a man who had endured so much difficulty and isolation could still exhibit compassion and tenderness for other living things.

He meant a lot to us far-northsiders and I would hate to see the memory of his story and the lesson of his life forgotten.

I work at the local public access station here in Chicago (CAN TV). If the Columbia College students who made that documentary about Mr. Zeman need a place to show their film, I encourage them to bring their work to our station. (It is our mission to give every local voice a platform to be heard by the over 1 million viewers/Chicago residents we have at any given time. The students can go to this link to get more information about our submission process >> http://www.cantv.org/submissions.htm)

I feel that these shared experiences (like the loss of Mr. Zeman) connect us to one another and make living life in this city a little less lonely. I'd like to think that in the act of honoring his life and sharing his story, we dispel a little bit of the isolation for others that he'd spent his life time enduring. It seems a fitting tribute.

How miserable some people are. Birds are a wonderfull example of the beauty of this life and the wonders of our planet. If you want to be miserable and rejoice in the death of another human being, keep it to yourself or stay inside.

Only one tear is needed to mourn a fellow human being who was alone, lonely and took solaceand refuge in the only beings who showed him affection. The Man seemed like a kind, peaceful, decent, fine man -- just a little old guy who wanted to feed the animals and have a purpose in this his life. He loved the birds and took so much time carefully filling up his little jars of food for them. He was not rich nor famous and probably did not have the easiest life with all the opportunities most take for granted but I hope that I will have at least one tear shed for me when it is my time.

Rest in Peace.


What does this have to do with religion. The story is about a social outcast who showed compassion towards vermin that most people including myself loathe.

It's funny how it seems that atheist are one's who talk about religion the most.

While Garry has no bedside manner, he brings up some valid issues. But I like people such as Joe, otherwise I'm afraid Chicago would be too dull to bear. And I'm against frivolous laws and ordinances just because people are afraid. I mean really, $1000 fine for feeding pigeons?! What a joke. How much is the fine for running over someone with a van?

Garry--- as an atheist, I am offended by your comments. Thanks for making us all look like callous, insensitive jerks. I'm not going to attempt a rebuttal to your comments, because they are so inane, but I do ask you to help us atheists, not hurt us, as we fight each day to break the stereotype that you seem to embody.

Hey, Garry, since you seem to abhor pigeons and people in equal measure (not to mention city living) maybe it's time you consider relocating somewhere where there are none of either.


I want to tell you how touched I was to read B. Mahaney's story about the death of the pigeon man. I live very close to Lincoln Square and I remember seeing him sitting there covered with birds as I rode by on the Western bus. He looked happy as a clam and so did the birds.
He was a good, kind man and he didn't deserve to die that way.

Rest in peace, gentle Pigeon Man of Lincoln Square. Thank goodness for your loving, peaceful and compassionate ways; I imagine you being lifted to a better place with a cloud of your beloved birds. I am only sorry that my son didn't get to see you in action on your fire hydrant and that more people don't have as much love as you did in your heart.

It's just fascinating how people that have not had an insane pigeon lover/feeder living 100 feet from them are so quick to say how wonderful pigeons are!
I suppose you also are in favor of someone with 150 cats living next door to you.
I have nothing against homing pigeons or racing pigeons that live in a dove cote. I'm sad that the passenger pigeon is extinct. But when I can't go outside to get rid of the garbage without being crapped on, because there are a couple of hundred filthy city pigeons on the electric wires, then I'm pissed off.
I don't mind people either, just the seriously mentally ill that are not on their medications.
And read that one again haters of me, just the ones not on their medications! The ones that need to be under the care of someone. The ones that shouldn't be living on their own.
All of us have the right to live a calm, peaceful life. It's not that when there are hundreds of pigeons or dozens of feral cats around.
And I'm sure you love both of them even though recent studies show that feral cats are destroying wild bird populations.

But since you think I hated everything my local pigeon man was bad, here's the one nice thing he did: By feeding them & causing so many to be around, he gave the local nesting pair of peregrines an excellent food source. Several times in the last couple of years I went out into my backyard & there was a decapitated pigeon.
Other neighbors told me how they saw a peregrine diving at 150 mph or faster & take off the pigeons head in midflight. Unfortunately, I never got to see this. I would have been applauding the raptor's skill!

ZORN NOTE --- The following commetns were accidentally deleted and then recovered:

S. my sparring friend --

"Eason Jordan of CNN has admitted that CNN refrained from reporting about the atrocities of Saddam Hussein while he was in power so that it could stay on Saddam's good side."

-- don't know about that but if it's true it's bad, not that different though from the way big-city papers climbed into bed with business interests, or aligned themselves against certain other interests, to stay on the good side of various other institutional interests. I don't think this proves your point as it has not a lot to do with the price of beans.

"Dan Rather did a report about President Bush that was based on documents that were crude forgeries. CBS was not going to do anything about this until it was exposed not by reporters but by amateur bloggers."

-- Rather disputes what you say. If he did a bad job on the story, maybe he deserved to get fired. But again, not a lot to do with the price of beans. I understand that you have a political agenda and want to paint the chicken---- political reporters of today as biased against your agenda. I'll grant you that the crime reporters of yesteryear were not chicken----, for the most part. They had stones the size of 16-inch softballs. They also had seven papers to which they could sell their services. And they had the benefit of alliances with the police, alliances they didn't jeopardize by questioning, in any systemic way, the way the police did business. All that changed in Grant Park in 1968. I prefer the post-1968 press's questioning posture toward the police to the old days when the reporter would ask the cop, on the PAX phone line that the cops let the reporters use, "Is that a blue area, sir?" When the answer was yes, the reporter spiked or "cheapened out" the story, because readers of the seven papers didn't need to hear what was going on in the "blue" parts of town, generally south of Roosevelt Road and east of Wentworth. It's a different brand of corruption than the brand of which you speak.

So I think you're sort of comparing apples and oranges; we could talk all day about the shortcomings of how the papers covered national and international affairs in the 1930s. My point was that the ethics of the bare knuckle street reporters were very different then and yes, far worse than those of street reporters today. As usual, you take the conversation into some other direction, and that makes it really hard to have an intelligent discourse with you.

But I try because I like you, and I think we share an interest in old murders.--Woman, Veterinarian and Psychologist.

It's a shame that an article about an old man's accidental death and his love for city pigeons can bring out so many vitriolic and personal comments. He doesn't seem to have hurt or harassed anyone and apparently most people left him alone, sitting on a fire hydrant being kept company by the pigeons he loved. Some of the messages are a sad indication of the state of the human spirit (I'd say Christian but that would probably bring on an
attack from an atheist).--- Sandra Kassabian

Some clarifications: Mr. Zeman was not mentally ill. He had a seizure disorder. He was not homeless. He maintained an apartment and lived independently. He was not hit by an SUV crossing an intersection. He was hit by a van leaving a parking lot.

Despite his rough childhood, Mr. Zeman lived a life of extraordinary kindness. He lived an exemplary life. He lived the life of St. Francis. His mother did a good job raising him. His family should be proud.

Mr. Zeman is what Christmas is all about.

My name is Miguel Silveira and I teach at Columbia College Chicago. I am directing a short documentary on Joe, and in case I was the only person - and my friends - to film Joe last August, the documentary crew some of you mentioned was ours. There is a lot to be said about Joe and I am currently looking at the footage we took of him and meditating about his persona. This process will take a few months, but for now I can only say that what struck me about Joe was the beauty of his "message'. Joe wasn't crazy or dirty. The pigeons seemed not to "drop" anything on him, they did it on me many times while we shot the film, which was fine, but not ONCE on him as far as I can remember. Joe simply perceived life very differently than most of us do. All of us, at least once in our lives, feel the self-righteous inclination to define something other than what we are, as "Crazy", "Dirty" , "Wrong" or whatever. The thing about Joe was that he was - as it seemed to me - at a different "pace" where the most important thing was to be at peace with everything. I know it might be hard to comprehend what this is, I myself don't claim do be able to do it, but there is something about the image of that man sitting by himself at the hydrant with dozens of pigeons on him, that struck my brain and made me want to meditate about what was the significance of his actions. I do not know it for sure, but it certainly set me thinking. I am not a religious person, but when I think about ST. Francis of Assisi I make the direct and obvious link to Birdman Joe. What is it that People like them signify? What is it that the fact of his death makes us want to debate and meditate about him? What is it? Clearly all of us here are somewhat affected by this " message" of his. Even the ones who seem to appreciate the fact that he is gone regardless of the tragedy behind the circumstances of his disappearance, are connected to him to the point that they take their time to write about him. In my opinion we are dealing with a special person but not for being "exotic" but for being simple, maybe even "ordinary". It is our very perception of him as someone "out of the ordinary" that strikes me. All he did was to sit for hours every day in the same place and feed pigeons that happened to be around. This simple action seemed to have shocked all of us, and now we sit in front of a computer and use this complex machine to try to get a point across, to prove something, to attack someone, to pay homage, etc etc etc. All of us are finding time in our busy schedules to sit and manifest our opinions about that man who simply sat in one place and fed pigeons. To me this can only mean that Joe's memory is being honored in a very complicated and technologically sophisticated manner by all of us. I think this is the least we can do as less complex beings puzzled by the simplicity of a man we cannot understand. I leave my technological , fast paced, complex Internet homage to Joe and wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

I am so glad to read Miguel Silveira's and Emily Booth's thoughtful comments. I am so grateful to see this blog about Mr. Zeman: When I read the story last week about how he was hit by a vehicle, I mourned his passing although he was a complete stranger to me.

I'd read the earlier 2004 Trib article, which helped explain the crazy sight I'd see as I drove or bicycled past his corner.

Here's a quote from Mr. Zieman from that earlier article: "'I'm really advertising to the public how easy it is to be good without an attitude; it's just as easy to show decency as it is to hate today.'"

It's true that I'd be bothered if one of my neighbors hoarded animals, attracted vermin, etc. I'm certain it was easier just to pass by his corner, see him sitting with all the birds covering him, and wonder, rather than live with the side-effects his behavior might have had on his immediate neighbors.

That being said, the 2004 article made clear that Mr. Zeman didn't take the pigeons home; he wanted them to come to him on their own volition. That corner was their meeting place -- a diner of a different sort.

He seemed like an emotionally wounded man who chose kindness over anger or fear, and thus lived his life accordingly. His being there on that hydrant, day after day, was not only a comfort to his bird-friends but a beautiful example for his human-passersby as well.

I hope that lesson, along with Mr. Zeman himself, will be long remembered.

When I saw Mr. Zeman for the first time on his perch at Western & Lawrence, I was simultaneously fascinated and repulsed. However, as I saw him more frequently and watched his face and the birds around him, it was obvious there was so much love and happiness radiating from that fire hydrant. It was truly heartwarming. May he rest in peace.

To help keep his memory alive, I posted some of my photos in this album:

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