a tribute to casey quinn

So far in my life I've been very fortunate. I have not had to attend many funerals. There have been great-grandmothers, great-aunts and a great-grandfather my parents forgot to tell me of until a week after the funeral. While I loved them all, their deaths happened when they were very old and it was easy to accept.

This spring, coworker and friend Casey Quinn passed away. At the age of 33, he had fought cancer in six separate battles over sixteen years. I'm conflicted about how much to share about Casey, because to sing his praises would not be enough. One could not possibly comprehend how much humanity, sensitivity, character and strength could exist in one man. But if you were to walk by the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in North Mankato on April 1st, you would have seen a crowd of grown men and women crying tears of joy for having him exist even for a brief moment in our lives and tears of sorrow for everyone who would not have their lives enriched by his presence.

For this very reason, members of Proximity, BBDO and friends of Casey Quinn collected on the Stone Arch Bridge on August 23rd to celebrate his life on his 34th birthday. Our intention was to launch 40 Japanese lanterns along with Casey's friends and family who were participating in 25 states across the country. Casey's photo along with notes were attached to each one as they were launched over the majestic St. Anthony Falls.

For the occassion, I ordered several packs of film and flashcubes for my Polaroid Super Shooter, but alas, the photos did not turn out very well. They will be tucked inside my photo album with annotations telling the story they did not capture, but for you, I have the photography of Justin Mueller:

 

Traffic nearly haulted on the Stone Arch Bridge. Pedestrians and cyclists stopped to take photos of the lanterns' launch.

Casey would have been thoroughly amused by the unexpected attendance of the Minneapolis Police. They told us they had received six phone calls and the fire department was waiting for their cue. But they were very kind and understanding and let us launch one last lantern.

Happy birthday, Casey. We miss you.