A Tribute to Our Friend and Board Member

by Michael Picucci
for our community

Howard Lesman, one of the bright lights of my life, our community, many other communities, and the world, left us on July 15, 2004 at 48 years old. He died of esophageal cancer. Before leaving he taught us about resilience, good spirit, and how to be even better friends and people. There will never be another Howard! I won’t mention his many achievements here, or the many beautiful and earnest people that were organically drawn to him. His legacy will always live on through them.

I just briefly want to share that Howard was an inspiration to me, and us, in his quest for goodness and wholeness and trying to make sense out of our world and our lives in a very good way. He was both wise and innocent, a combination that made him uniquely engaging. When Howard was in my presence, I lit up. That’s what made him so special to me and so many others. His energy was buoyant and radiant. He met life on its terms and made the very best of it, always exuding a spirit of creative positivism.

I had the privilege of having a special relationship with Howard and his most private world. Howard worked a lot with the forces of life energy in recent years and came to have a personal and pristine awareness of their inherent mysteries. What I know he would want me to share is that he still lives in each of us. He is where he needs to be now, and he is with us at the same time. And, if we look for it his light is still here, still making us shine, we only have to notice.

Where he would want that light to shine most warmly at this time, is in the heart of his life partner for almost 24 years, Richard Levy, whom he cherished on the deepest levels of human comprehension. And also, to his loyal business partners and good friends Jan Boyle and Lyn Rosoff and his family, all for whom he wanted only the best. We too, our community, shine our light on them all and wish them our own and Howard's grace as they reinvent their lives in his physical absence.

Good bye Howard, and hello as we will be seeing you in the moon, the sun, the stars, and the breeze. Continue to embrace us, as we embrace you.