SANTA CRUZ, CA — Food Not Bombs Santa Cruz recently held a memorial at the Town Clock for Joe Pace, a FNB volunteer who died of fentanyl poisoning. He’d thought he was sniffing cocaine. Joey, a Special Forces veteran, was a years-long volunteer in charge of the clothing giveaway and he generally helped out at the Town Clock food service. About 40 mostly unhoused people attended.
Keith McHenry set up an altar with a photo of Joey, flowers and incense. An excellent band, a quartet, played 60s and 70s music. A few danced. It was about calling Joey home. Many stepped up to the solar-powered mic and gave remembrances, including Pastor Joel from the Little Red Church. The Episcopalian minister often distributes bagels, lox and cream cheese to FNB patrons at the Town Clock. Isaac, our young local Black poet, read his rousing poem, “I Am Fighting For You!” Drew, who manages the Town Clock food service, being too upset to speak, played a flute in lieu of speaking.
The community had been reeling from the death of Nick the Greek, age 36, a beloved unhoused FNB patron, stabbed to death six months ago in a downtown parking garage where he was sheltering, and also the extreme violence to other Santa Cruz unhoused. Last October, Max, an unhoused gentle man in his 70s, was beaten nearly to death by two high school boys who stomped on his head and shamelessly videoed their violence. A total of 90 unhoused died here in 2022.
Joe’s brother Nicholas, visiting from Hawaii, had found Joe dead in his apartment. He gave remembrances and then spontaneously launched into Bob Marley and the Wailers’ “Comin’ In From The Cold.” Those who knew the words sang along — “It’s you, it’s you, it’s you I’m talking to now.” One young man who gave a remembrance declared, “F—k fentanyl!” As one participant commented, it was like an Irish wake without the whiskey.
Needless to say, Joey received a righteous sendoff. It was all about community. Joe Pace, rest in peace.
Gloria A Lightheart was herself homeless for over seven years. Now living in subsidized housing, she continues to fight for the rights of the houseless.
