In Memory of William "Bill" Knox Irwin
Donation protected
A group of us wanted to get together to help Paul "Santa" Irwin put his brother to rest.
Santa has spent the last five years taking care of his brother well, and making sure Bill was getting the care he needed, often at his own expense of time and money. After his brother passed last Sunday night, August 30th, 2020, the decision was also made that their dog, Muddy, also wasn't going to make it, and sadly, Muddy is no longer with us, either. Two losses in the Mojave.
Unexpected funeral expenses, and then vet expenses, are especially hard on seniors on a fixed income, let alone ones who no longer has an opportunity to pick up extra income to buffer unexpected expenses. With no music festivals, Santa has suffered not just the loss of his brother, but the loss of his entire industry. There are no places for him to serve as an artist transport or parking coordinator or .....
This has been a rough year for many, and Santa takes a modicum comfort in knowing he's not alone in his hurting. He's been super shocked at the amount of people who've reached out to let him know what Bill and he have meant to people over the years. He's really thankful for all of the love and support. This fundraiser is to help him offset all the costs of these unexpected losses, and we hope you could chip in a few if you can.
Right now, due to the COVID crisis, there are no current plans for a memorial gathering, but friends have been gathering and posting memories on Bill's personal Facebook page. Please message me for the link, and thanks to all who have offered support.
Remembering William "Bill" Knox Irwin
Early Sunday morning, my brother, William Knox Irwin, ended his journey on this Third Stone From The Sun.
He had suffered from excruciating pain for twenty nine years. He had multiple surgeries that all failed. In his later life, he developed Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy, a bizarre autoimmune disease, Heart Failure, Lung Disease, Hand Tremors, approaching Blindness, continuous Falling, accelerating Dementia, and most recently began a battle against two separate kinds of Cancer. A body can only take so much. Eventually it has to give up.
Bill is finally free. He is no longer in pain. His frustration is over. He has moved on.
William was a unique individual. Truly one of a kind. During his career he worked at The Mercury Nevada Nuclear Test Site, looking for radiation caused anomalies in small mammals, The City of Hope in Heart Research, and Cardiac Model Making, and The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Marine Mammal Fisheries Division, as a Researcher, Videographer, and Defender of Dolphins.
He once gave a lecture on Dolphins at The Darwin Research Station on The Galápagos Islands. He traveled many of the World’s oceans. One of his favorite adventures was a months long photo Safari in Namibia. His work took him throughout Central And South America, and Ports of Call like Hawaii and Samoa. He had a passion for photography and Deserts. He was one of the five founders of “DA Studio” which went on to become the nonprofit “DA Center For the Preforming Arts”.
He spent the last 16 years of his life living his dream, residing in The Mojave Desert.
William Knox Irwin
October 1, 1948 - August 30, 2020.
He Will Be Missed.
Santa has spent the last five years taking care of his brother well, and making sure Bill was getting the care he needed, often at his own expense of time and money. After his brother passed last Sunday night, August 30th, 2020, the decision was also made that their dog, Muddy, also wasn't going to make it, and sadly, Muddy is no longer with us, either. Two losses in the Mojave.
Unexpected funeral expenses, and then vet expenses, are especially hard on seniors on a fixed income, let alone ones who no longer has an opportunity to pick up extra income to buffer unexpected expenses. With no music festivals, Santa has suffered not just the loss of his brother, but the loss of his entire industry. There are no places for him to serve as an artist transport or parking coordinator or .....
This has been a rough year for many, and Santa takes a modicum comfort in knowing he's not alone in his hurting. He's been super shocked at the amount of people who've reached out to let him know what Bill and he have meant to people over the years. He's really thankful for all of the love and support. This fundraiser is to help him offset all the costs of these unexpected losses, and we hope you could chip in a few if you can.
Right now, due to the COVID crisis, there are no current plans for a memorial gathering, but friends have been gathering and posting memories on Bill's personal Facebook page. Please message me for the link, and thanks to all who have offered support.
Remembering William "Bill" Knox Irwin
Early Sunday morning, my brother, William Knox Irwin, ended his journey on this Third Stone From The Sun.
He had suffered from excruciating pain for twenty nine years. He had multiple surgeries that all failed. In his later life, he developed Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy, a bizarre autoimmune disease, Heart Failure, Lung Disease, Hand Tremors, approaching Blindness, continuous Falling, accelerating Dementia, and most recently began a battle against two separate kinds of Cancer. A body can only take so much. Eventually it has to give up.
Bill is finally free. He is no longer in pain. His frustration is over. He has moved on.
William was a unique individual. Truly one of a kind. During his career he worked at The Mercury Nevada Nuclear Test Site, looking for radiation caused anomalies in small mammals, The City of Hope in Heart Research, and Cardiac Model Making, and The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Marine Mammal Fisheries Division, as a Researcher, Videographer, and Defender of Dolphins.
He once gave a lecture on Dolphins at The Darwin Research Station on The Galápagos Islands. He traveled many of the World’s oceans. One of his favorite adventures was a months long photo Safari in Namibia. His work took him throughout Central And South America, and Ports of Call like Hawaii and Samoa. He had a passion for photography and Deserts. He was one of the five founders of “DA Studio” which went on to become the nonprofit “DA Center For the Preforming Arts”.
He spent the last 16 years of his life living his dream, residing in The Mojave Desert.
William Knox Irwin
October 1, 1948 - August 30, 2020.
He Will Be Missed.
Organizer
Holiday Nagle
Organizer
Lucerne Valley, CA