My son, Jeremy, was an adamant fisherman who loved the water and all the finny fins which swam in its fluidity.
When he was seven years old, he explained to a scuba diver who had re-surfaced from a dive on the Gloucester shoreline, about the eye migration of the flounder the diver had in his catch bag. During its life cycle the newly hatched fish had one eye on each side of his head like all other fish and then as an adult 2 eyes on one side of his head i.e..one eye traveled to the other side. "That is amazing", said the diver.
Jeremy was a talented photographer too. Below is a grouping of fish he had caught one evening, arranged in a circle at the beach. Virginia Beach is where he lived. He was a Navy guy, honorably discharged after 9 years of service. He would send me numerous pictures like these and I would delight in seeing the wide variety of creatures he caught. Shockingly I realized from these photos what a bounty of creatures swam along side me when I took a dip in the ocean: Puffer Fish, skates, sharks, dog fish, croakers, spots, etc.
Yes he went to the beach to fish. It is what he loved to do. But this year the oceans edge became his solemn retreat. A place where he found great comfort in the rhythms of the tides, the beauty of a sunset and the abundance of life while enduring oral surgeries and chemotherapy sessions to treat his Stage 4 tongue cancer.
Jeremy Josef passed away from the disease on May 8th at the age of 38. He admirably fought like a voracious fish at the end of his hook, line and sinker.
I love you and miss you so very, very much.
