We are deeply saddened by the loss of our friend Terry Mason Kendrick, an unhoused veteran and senior who lived on Aetna Street off the Van Nuys Orange Line Metro station in the San Fernando Valley.

In April of 2022, Terry suffered a stroke and was hospitalized, where he later died after fighting for over a year and a half to live. Terry leaves behind family and friends who love him but cannot afford to pay for the cost of burial.

Terry was a larger-than-life figure in the neighborhood and a friend to many. Many of us considered him our uncle; he was a grandpa for people who had complicated relationships to their own families. He was grouchy, he was generous, he was kind. He was crass, vulgar, and filled with heart. Terry was a clown. He had a ridiculous sense of humor that embraced the absurdity of the world and brought so much laughter to those of us who needed it. He would often get in trouble for giving the shirt off his back and getting hypothermia. Terry didn’t give a damn.

Terry challenged traditional notions of "family" and the meaning of "home" which made him a bit of a nuisance to society, and a guidance counselor to those of us who have been cast out of society for being too poor, queer, disabled or addicted. Among his many lives and jobs, he was most proud of being a forest ranger and continued the spirit of this work by looking out for others and reducing the harm and suffering found in the world while being unhoused. He was often featured in the LA Times and other news outlets, making quips about his love for alcohol in one breath while advocating for the need for harm reduction in the next.

Terry was a fighter who always fought for the underdog. He often talked about “unfair fights” – when the police would ticket people for having tents and the city would come and destroy the belongings of those who were already down. To us, his refusal to accept the world as it was made him our hero and our friend. He never tried to be a good person. But he felt a deep responsibility to make life better for as many people as he could with whatever he had, which was often only the shirt on his back or the bike he was working on. Deeply flawed, loving, present. He saw a need and tried to fill it. Terry was a first responder.

This fundraiser will support funeral costs and a community memorial to be held in his honor. ($2,500)

Any additional funds beyond $2,500 will go towards a support fund for his unconventional family and friends.

Any additional funds raised beyond $5,000 will go towards starting a community medical scholarship fund in Terry’s name. Terry was a first responder by training and used his search and rescue skills to save lives. This scholarship fund will be available for unhoused community members living on Aetna Street to pursue advanced medical training, CPR certification, EMT classes, Stop the Bleed training, medical supplies, and more.

Terry loved telling wild stories from his incredible and colorful, unconventional life but more than that, he committed to living it. He will be missed by so many of us, and we commit to keeping his memory and his fight alive. Here’s to more stories, more memories, and commitment to living our lives as fully and selflessly as Terry lived his.

We love you Terry. Rest easy.