ADAPT of Texas has lost two dear friends last week. Tim Thornton of the Denver area was a tried and true friend to all of the ADAPT network who supported us all during national actions as well as in between. Former Co-Director of Atlantis Tim left to start an attendant services agency of his own. He went the extra mile for everyone, was ready to do whatever needed to be done from wheelchair repair, to attendant services, to picking up a hundred hamburgers and sneaking them into an occupied office, to whatever the moment might call for. Such a gentle, friendly, warm person he leaves a huge hole.
Closer to home, Gene Rodgers also passed away last week. Gene was an ADAPTer from way back in the early days of Wade and the buses. When he moved to Austin he got right involved with our group, and although his busy life kept taking him away he would return and pitch in where he could. He covered our issues on the Gene and Dave show, made funny videos to carry the point with humor, testified at the Capitol and was willing to use his personal story to put a face to the need for more attendants and for better wages. Just this fall and winter he was featured in lengthy articles on these subjects. But, as Gene tells in his book Awesome by Accident, he had tons of other fascinating adventures. He was determined to live life to the fullest. David Dauber made this beautiful tribute to Gene; Click here for the tribute.
Bob Kafka, on his radio show/podcast Barrier Free Futures, interviewed Gene about his life and book: click here to hear the show.
