In memory of Trevor

 

For whatever reason, when we knew him, Trevor didn't have a home. We gave him a little community and a little sustenance for a few seasons. He gave us cheer and willing labor. He was a good man, whatever demons wracked him. 

Michael Reardon from the community of St. John the Evangelist wrote about our brother and friend whose memorial service is today. 

Trevor Andrew Watson was born on April 7, 1966, in San Mateo, and died on October 31, 2023, in San Francisco, at the age of 57. He graduated from Sequoia High School in Redwood City in 1985. Most of his life was spent on the Peninsula and in The City, perhaps aptly reflecting his name, as the name ‘Trevor’ is derived from the Gaelic or Welsh, meaning a land area, a settlement, a habitation, a name given to people to describe the place where they lived. He was a true son of California, and he was a true son of the Beloved Community of St John the Evangelist.

In a way, we took him for granted. He was with us on most Sundays and special events, always responding with a greeting, always receiving our coffee hour items to present beautifully on the garden tables, always eager to do something for us. We gave him the space to let him be, to let him serve us, to let him have his own habitation with us.

In his own way, he was Herculean at tasks, compassionate with others, steadfast with all of us as we became his family. In his inimitable way, he made me feel important. I saw his sweetness, I admired his enthusiasm, I sometimes thought of him as being from somewhere in the streets, like one of Peter Pan’s Lost Boys, and I loved the fact that he came back to us frequently, as he was not only one of us, but crucial to the fabric of our fragile community.

He received what he needed from St John’s. He gave me ideas on the nitty gritty work and cleanup of receptions; he gave Rory the idea of exhibiting portraits in the library; he gave Leah a sense of comfort as he was always under the care of her wings. All of us have something for which to be grateful to him. ...