Noah
was born during the evening of October 5th,
1981on a Monday, in his Grandparents home in Sunnyvale, California.
He was brought into this world via two midwives, with
his family all around him. We placed him in a bath of warm
water after he arrived, and he relaxed and quit crying immediately.
His mother, Jeanette, and father, Thomas (myself), slept with him on
his first night. Noah
was a very happy and healthy baby.
Noah
lived in California, only as a baby, then we moved to
Milton-Freewater, where we lived close to his maternal grandmother.
Noah was a very enjoyable baby to all, calm, happy, and very smart.
He soaked up life like a sponge, learning, creating, living his life,
in a beautiful way, that harmed no one, and helped so many.
After
his Mother and I split up, when Noah was 8, he
and I shared a small apartment in Corvallis until 1992.
After
Noah moved in with me, I attended community college, and then we
moved to Portland in 1992. We lived in an apartment on NE
42nd
and Alberta for almost a year, then moved into a home I was able to
purchase at 2244 N. Watts Street, in Portland. Noah’s friends
grew numerous and he loved to ride his bicycle everywhere. His
first job was at La Beck’s Video Chest, quite close to our home, he
then later worked at The Beaterville Café as a cook for almost 3
years. Noah attended St. Stephens, Jonathan Meek Elementary,
and the Environmental Middle School as well as the Metropolitan
Learning Center.
Jan,
(Jeanette), Noah and I moved to Corvallis when he was about 2 and
lived in an old wooden house at 641 NW 4th
Avenue. The house is still there, but now abandoned. Noah
had a good many friends, his closest being Ian Skinner and Abraham,
“Ham”. Ian now works at a shoe
store in Corvallis and is a nice young man,
with a wife and new baby, Ewan.
He made many more friends in Portland,
people were drawn towards him, and he
continues
to have
an impact on myself
and others.
Noah
used to read Carlos Castenada, used 'runes' to cast his fortune,
wrote stories, poems, songs and listen to wonderful music. He
loved animals, and at one time wanted to be a Vet Tech. He
wanted to paint his room 'cow' colors at one time, black and white,
in the interestingly cluttered room he had, filled with things he had
made, found or were given to him. Noah seemed wiser than his years,
and was so far ahead of me spiritually that it almost seems like he
was a teacher and wise man, in my mind anyway.
He wanted to travel, visit the Caribbean, Bahamas, and intended to
begin working on a fishing boat in July of 2005.
He
was able to do pottery, glass blowing, drawing, sculpture, writing,
music, and I wish we could have seen what else.
He was a very interesting person, and I am lucky that he left behind
so many of his drawings and writings.
I
clearly remember Noah’s graduation from 8th
grade, and I was so proud of him. Noah loved to draw from an
early age, and I encouraged it in him as I saw talent. When he
told me he was bored, I'd ask him to draw a picture, and he would
draw some wonderful things. He also loved his Lego's and Transformer
robots. As a child, I would ask Noah where he got something, a toy or
whatever, or he would tell me, “I got it from the Strong Store”,
and he used to smile as he said it. He called Sesame Street,
Stressame Street and he loved The Count. It is so hard to write
and keep a coherent narrative with these thoughts,
it’s impossible to capture in words the person he was.
Noah
and I had a dog, Bodhi Sotfa, Noah thought of the name. We got
him from the Oregon Humane Society and he lived with us for almost 8
years and was so very loved. Noah also had a pet rat named
Pargart which he also loved. When Pargart died, we buried him
in the back yard and Noah put a nice rock on the spot. Noah made a
wooden bench that he used to sit in under a plum tree in our back
yard.
Noah
was the heart of our home, he built a bench in our backyard, he
cooked, drew, filled our home with life, music and light.
We
had an apple tree as well as plum trees, lilacs, and comfrey in our
back yard. Noah once got poison oak, and I gave him a bath with
comfrey in the water which seemed to help. Noah also had pet
gerbils, which multiplied quite often. As Noah grew, he let his
hair grow into Dreadlocks. I thought he was very interesting, funny and a loving
son. He used to call me Daddy Waddy Pumpkin Paddy. Noah learned to play the
digeridoo and loved to play with his wrist rocket and BB gun. I
will add more as I am able, it is very hard to write.
On
this day, 11/10/2009, I have edited this a little, and just realized
that Noah was born and died on a Monday. I can not begin to capture
all of the memories and put them on paper and must believe that
others will remember him and he will not be forgotten. Noah was the
glue that held our family together and now all that is over. It
is impossible for me to write what my son was, so I will remember,
and hope that others remember too, forever.
