Little Gorilla was Joe’s all time favorite book when we were kids. It is all about a community of critters who took care of the youngest… the little boy, because they all loved him. And then he grows up and, of course, everybody still loves him.

Our world was shattered on 19 January 2011 when dad got the phone call the we had lost our little gorilla. Since then we have heard from hundreds, yes hundreds, of people who loved him. The most notable thing, though, is how much he took care of everyone else over the years. He stopped in on his Darren’s mom when she lost her friend; he went to NYC when Mike was there from the UK for a job interview; he came to Seattle to see me when I was at a conference; the list is truly endless. Joe didn’t care much for things. He could carry all his possessions in his car – he collected people.

Maybe he learned from the Little Gorilla how to take care of other people and in his few years he built the most amazing group around him… and they all loved him. Joe lives on in us and we all need to know the Joe stories because we have to carry on in his giant spirit. Please leave yours below. If you have photos, please register on this site and upload them for us. If you have trouble, you can email them to me at lichentherelevant@gmail.com.