On June 14, about 60 men in blue gathered in San Quentin’s Protestant Chapel, for a memorial service held in honor of Ron Taylor, Jessie “Blue” Wells, Lyle “Butch” Anderson, Eric Baumer, Larry Barnes, and Robert Bridget.
During the last six months, these men passed away from various ailments.
The oldest was Baumer who passed on February 10, at the age of 64. The youngest was Robert Bridget who passed at the age of 53 on March 24.
Ronald Taylor passed at the age of 60 on February 11. Barnes passed at the age of 57 on May 17. Wells passed at the age of 55 on December 20, 2012.
“Death is hardest on the ones left behind,” Pastor Mardi Jackson said in an opening prayer.
After Jackson’s prayer, one of San Quentin’s musical group, Nue Dae preformed Born Again.
In a procession, the men in blue stood one by one, sharing their memories of the deceased—some shedding tears as they recounted their stories.
A young man named Sebastian shared how Anderson was his only cellie in San Quentin.
Anderson had even been kind enough to wash his shoes for him one time, Sebastian said. “I will love and miss you.”
In what can only be described as a miscommunication because of Anderson’s discharge from prison under Proposition 36, he was believed to have passed on the June 4.
In reality Anderson clung to life until one minute before midnight on June 18, when he passed from liver failure in Marin General Hospital.
Anderson was 60.
Wyatt, a friend of Baumer shared how he stopped taking his insulin and nobody noticed.
Baumer was a Vietnam veteran who spent six years of his military career fighting there. “All he wanted to do was surf,” he said. But, he gave up on life, Wyatt concluded
“When I lost him, it felt like I lost my brother,” said Carley McFarland about his cellie Wells.
“Ron was that person everyone loved to hate… But he was a mama’s boy just like me and he loved his mama,” said Bobby Evans about Taylor.
Mike Adams recounted how much commitment Robert Bridget had to God. He told how even in pain he came and participated in a two-hour service all for the love of his Lord two weeks before his passing.
“Kahlil means friend, and he was a friend to everybody around here,” said Raphael Calix explaining Larry Barnes’ Muslim name.
Nue Dae closed the memorial with the song I Heard Your Voice.
Many men expressed their thanks to the event organizers.
