Ocea Zullo Papa Bear Fund
Donation protected
The Ocea Zullo Papa Bear Fund:
Demse Zullo passed away suddenly, from injuries sustained after the van he was travelling in rolled over on Sunday May 3, 2015. He was travelling from an event he performed at the night before in upstate NY, to perform in Northampton, MA with a band made up of children who were his music students.
He passed away 2 days after the crash.
Demse Zullo was a husband, a father, a friend to multitudes, a dedicated family man, a musical force of nature. In his personal life he was fiercely devoted to his daughter, Ocea (pronounced "O-sha") and wife Kisha, whom he daily celebrated in life with and to whom he was openly loyal and deeply loving.
Upon his musical platform, with his band, The Alchemystics, and many other creative projects alongside, he reached thousands and thousands of listeners and lovers scattering seeds of connection and imparting unity around the region and across the U.S.
Demse was an original thinker, a natural orator, a formidable and regal drummer, an endlessly creative musical power who impacted the environments and people wherever he existed; heating up the atmosphere with his inner warmth and rebellion and his voracious appetite for truly, authentic connection.
At the heart of Demse Zullo was his transformative expansion as a father. He and Kisha co-parented his daughter in a blended family with Emily Sat Akal, Ocea’s mother.
Demse and Emily Sat Akal collaborated tirelessly for all their years raising their daughter, Ocea, ensuring a fair and sustainable balance of love, experience, and bonding for her. Every week, Ocea looked forward to her, “papa day”, when Demse or Kisha would arrive to pick her up at her mama’s house for 3 days and nights.
The day of Demse’s tragic auto accident, was a papa day.
Demse’s monthly child support contributions ensured summer camps, school activities, extra-curricular activities like music and art lessons, horseback riding and summer vacations which became the things that Ocea grew accustomed to in her life, and were the things that Demse wanted for his daughter.
Demse used to say to Ocea, “I work so hard because I want you to have all the things I didn’t have growing up.”
Emily Sat Akal has described herself as being lucky because she works in a profession where being loving to people is at the core . She is a successful doula, employed in her own business. Since Demse's accident she has taken time off from work to grieve, to support her daughter Ocea in her grief, and to transition herself, her daughter Ocea, and her youngest daughter (Ocea's little sister) to a new life without the support of Ocea's amazing father.
At this time, there is no fund or insurance to compensate the family in their loss of Demse as a provider. Demse's child support payments are gone and so is his added support as a father who took care of the financial well-being of his daughter for regular days of each week that she lived in his home.
Please consider making a contribution to this beautiful family. Your contribution will go directly toward the sustainable life and future of Ocea Zullo, in memory of her papa.
Thank you in advance.
Demse Zullo passed away suddenly, from injuries sustained after the van he was travelling in rolled over on Sunday May 3, 2015. He was travelling from an event he performed at the night before in upstate NY, to perform in Northampton, MA with a band made up of children who were his music students.
He passed away 2 days after the crash.
Demse Zullo was a husband, a father, a friend to multitudes, a dedicated family man, a musical force of nature. In his personal life he was fiercely devoted to his daughter, Ocea (pronounced "O-sha") and wife Kisha, whom he daily celebrated in life with and to whom he was openly loyal and deeply loving.
Upon his musical platform, with his band, The Alchemystics, and many other creative projects alongside, he reached thousands and thousands of listeners and lovers scattering seeds of connection and imparting unity around the region and across the U.S.
Demse was an original thinker, a natural orator, a formidable and regal drummer, an endlessly creative musical power who impacted the environments and people wherever he existed; heating up the atmosphere with his inner warmth and rebellion and his voracious appetite for truly, authentic connection.
At the heart of Demse Zullo was his transformative expansion as a father. He and Kisha co-parented his daughter in a blended family with Emily Sat Akal, Ocea’s mother.
Demse and Emily Sat Akal collaborated tirelessly for all their years raising their daughter, Ocea, ensuring a fair and sustainable balance of love, experience, and bonding for her. Every week, Ocea looked forward to her, “papa day”, when Demse or Kisha would arrive to pick her up at her mama’s house for 3 days and nights.
The day of Demse’s tragic auto accident, was a papa day.
Demse’s monthly child support contributions ensured summer camps, school activities, extra-curricular activities like music and art lessons, horseback riding and summer vacations which became the things that Ocea grew accustomed to in her life, and were the things that Demse wanted for his daughter.
Demse used to say to Ocea, “I work so hard because I want you to have all the things I didn’t have growing up.”
Emily Sat Akal has described herself as being lucky because she works in a profession where being loving to people is at the core . She is a successful doula, employed in her own business. Since Demse's accident she has taken time off from work to grieve, to support her daughter Ocea in her grief, and to transition herself, her daughter Ocea, and her youngest daughter (Ocea's little sister) to a new life without the support of Ocea's amazing father.
At this time, there is no fund or insurance to compensate the family in their loss of Demse as a provider. Demse's child support payments are gone and so is his added support as a father who took care of the financial well-being of his daughter for regular days of each week that she lived in his home.
Please consider making a contribution to this beautiful family. Your contribution will go directly toward the sustainable life and future of Ocea Zullo, in memory of her papa.
Thank you in advance.
Organizer and beneficiary
Kalpana Devi
Organizer
Leverett, MA
Emily Millspaugh
Beneficiary
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