John Behanna

It seems like John has been with us forever. Camerawork, La Mamelle, Pearl Harbor Day, Bluxome Street, The Art Motel, The Re: Show.... Ernest Dawson said it perfectly--
They are not long
The days of wine and roses:
out of a misty dream
our path emerges for a while
the closes within a dream.

Thank you, John, for shining your light.

John will be greatly missed at SPUR, where he has been a frequent participant in our studies and debates for decades. He was always perceptive, forward looking, and positive, and always with a twinkle in his eye.

Bluxome St. what a great place to live & work. When I went to work at "Firehouse 8" in 1981, I was introduced to two people in the Alley, MG Charlie & John. MG didn't last long and John became a wonderful friend of all the Men in the Firehouse. He was like one of the family, stopping in for coffee & the latest news, joining us for many different events, helping us with the save Truck 8 campaign & the last one, Xmas lunch at Caesar's on the wharf, instead he went to Cesar's in the Mission. In...

John was a loyal member of the SPUR Sustainable Development Committee for the four years that I was working on it. He was very thoughtful and had good comments and suggestions. I will always remember his gentle manner. He will be missed.

Relationships were most important to John. In his final days he was more concerned about his friends than he was about himself. He wanted to make certain that everyone who participated in getting his book published were adequately thanked as well as his doctor who worked so closely with him.
He had a terrific sense of humor and always had a smile and laughed and shared the absurdities in life as he saw them. While he lay in bed with his body wasting away, his mind was as sharp as ever...

Many wonderful memories from Camerawork days and Bluxome Street... and our long, last visit this past September. John touched so many people and made this world a better place. Rest in peace with the angels, John: You will live in our hearts.

It is sad to imagine a San Francisco WITHOUT John Behana ...
his eyes always had a mischievous sparkle …
his smiles were always tinged with gentle mockery …
he was indeed the grown-up; he kept us all honest.
Goodbye John, you were much loved and will be incredibly missed.

We'll miss John's many talents in the Irish American Democratic Club and in the other organizations to which we belonged, all with the hope we could make progressive change. To the good memories! (And, I'm personally delighted that John gifted me with one of his paintings which graces my front room.)