Funeral Expenses for Howard Quick

It's hard to put to words the great sorrow our whole community is experiencing after the unexpected death of our beloved friend, Howard Quick. Howard was known as a generous, loving person, who made his friends feel like royalty and taught us all so much about appreciating life and the people who surrounded us. Whether you had just met him or were an old friend, he made you feel loved and valued. The fact that he made friends from all walks of life and was never judgmental about differences was a testament to his ability to foster community, often single-handedly. Howard brought together so many people who would have never had occasion to meet otherwise and taught us to love each other, creating so many friendships and such a sense of togetherness that few people find in this life. From his commitment to the arts to his endless stream of adopted pets to his unwavering volunteer work during the fires that tore apart Santa Rosa in 2017, Howard always strove to make direct contributions to the things that made his world a better place. Sadly, now is the time for those of us who loved him to help make a contribution to his end of life expenses.

This sudden loss leaves his beloved partner Jan Dailey with unforeseen expenses on top of the immense trauma and pain of losing such a man. In order to allow Jan and those closest to her to focus solely on the mental and emotional pain, we're asking anybody who can help to contribute to Howard's memorial expenses and to supporting Jan in this time of grief. In removing Jan's financial burden, we not only pay back just a sliver of the love and kindness Howard gave to each of us, but we also are giving to a woman who was a pillar in Howard's life, much as he was a pillar to so many of us in the many communities he touched upon.  We've set a high dollar amount, as funerals are expensive and the loss of income can't be measured, so please give as generously as you can and share with this far and wide. Thank you for your support in such a difficult time.

Updates about Ben Handelman, the creator of this campaign, to satisfy GoFundMe's requirements:

GFM has requested I put in more information about myself and my connection to the deceased in order to lend credibility to this campaign. I'm happy to do so. I have been close friends with the beneficiaries of this campaign for the past fifteen years, including Howard himself. I have an arm covered in tattoos done by Howard and have spent the last few days coordinating with Joey Estrada, who is the person designated by Howard's surviving partner Jan to handle affairs (so as not to burden her). I spoke with Jan this afternoon and she gave me explicit information regarding this campaign and urged me to have funds transferred to Joey to handle on her behalf, as he will be handling the memorial arrangements and will ensure the rest is left with Jan to cover whatever needs must be met in this trying time.

I'm including a photo of myself with Howard here, not to add to the vanity, but to further emphasize that I am somebody who loved and was close with him and that the only reason my name is even attached to this campaign is because I was asked to handle it on the behalf of Joey and Jan so that the distribution of responsibilities would be shared. If this is inadequate, I'll gladly add even more information but this isn't about me at all. This is about ensuring that the people dealing with the intense emotional burden of this loss aren't also stuck with a great financial burden.