My friend, John McDevitt, who you may know from around these parts, his blog and his contributions to Taming the Terrible Twos: A Parents’ Survival Guide and Mantra for a Muse, was one of the strongest forces in my writing world.
Years ago, we worked together on a website which has gone the way many content mills do. We shared a partner-in-crime status which brought both of us to the attention of the owner on more than one occasion.
After one such occasion, we toyed with the idea of moving to blogging, a new-fangled platform at the time. He dove right in with the blog he kept until this month: The Aware Writer. Whilst we worked on the LATEX version of T3, its very first edition, he was writing about dragons, and we were publishing a newsletter called Stews Brews.
Over the years, I took a lot (LOT) of liberty with his wonderful photographs. They grace poems they inspired here and in Mantra for a Muse. A lovely picture of his granddaughter and his dog are on the cover of T3 (and will be in the second edition). He chose it as perfect, and I never questioned it. He was correct.
There were many things about which John was correct. He knew life was about the journey, a recurrent theme you will find in his comments here and on his blog. We talked many hours about myriad subjects, some infinitely trivial and others heady (compliments of a post on Running Naked With Scissors).
One of the things I shared with him is sometimes uncoloring between the lines is important as well. It changes how we focus our eyes and thereby how we view the world.
John McDevitt was an amazing family man, veteran, writer, photographer, architect, mentor, colleague, compatriot, quoter of Monty Python, jokester and friend. He will be missed.
Condolences may be left online. Funeral services are tomorrow.
Rest well, my dear friend. xxx
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Tess
/ March 31, 2015I stumbled upon the news of John’s passing yesterday. I hadn’t known him well, but I do remember his humor. I had no idea who else knew him. My condolences to his daughter and her family, as well as other family members he had. <3
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Red of M3
/ March 31, 2015Daughters, granddaughters, beautiful wife, sisters. I always teased him he had the perfect family… all women.
Erin
/ March 31, 2015What a beautiful post Red. Thank you for the wonderful words about my dad.
Red of M3
/ March 31, 2015Erin, your dad meant a lot to me. He truly was a wonderful friend. You have my sincerest condolences, all of you. xxx
Valentine Logar
/ March 31, 2015Beautifully written my sister. John was a wonderful mentor to me as well and he will be missed. We have all lost a great light.
Red of M3
/ April 1, 2015Thank you, and I agree. xxx
Binky
/ April 1, 2015I did not know John, but I’m sorry for your loss.
Red of M3
/ April 2, 2015Thank you, Peter. xxx
Gray Dawster
/ April 5, 2015Yes I have seen many of his wonderful comments here in M3 and I am rather shocked that he has passed away. It just shows how much time I have lost calling in here and adding my thoughts to your awesome website, something that I need to change over the coming weeks.
I didn’t know that you were friends away from the blogosphere but I can see why he was such a fine friend, and his input a worthy attribute through many projects.
I did not know him really but it is a sad piece of news nonetheless and he will be missed by many I am sure of that.
R I P
John McDevitt
Andro