The March 8 edition of The Independent contained a very well-written obituary for Jeffery Samuel Smith, a Santa Barbara homeless person. The article is more than two full columns long, outlining the writer’s experience with the young 54-year-old “dude.”
What very much impressed me was the fact that the writer did not even identify himself. He just thought Jeff was a very nice man and deserved to be remembered. Indeed, I cannot remember an obituary for a homeless person written by anyone other than a close relative.
To the writer: Thank you for reminding all of us that homeless people are also worth remembering and missing. I will certainly pay more attention to future articles about homeless people who die, and remind my friends also.