"In addition to taking courses at NYU Film School and MSU, Eli was a student of life, backpacking in Europe and the Arizona desert. He filmed, painted, sculpted and chronicled the many challenges of his life through epic poetry. He had a voracious taste for film, literature and a passion for science. He loved opera, riding his motorcycle, dancing, singing, working his bird dogs, gardening and cooking. But most of all he loved spending hours playing with his kids and teaching them all he knew. Huge bonfires, star gazing, rock hunting, studying animal tracks, playing pirates.
"Eli loved to help others. He trained as an EMT, worked in search and rescue, volunteered on the Gallatin County Sheriff's Posse and was a lieutenant in the Sweet Grass County Sheriff's Auxiliary. He was an expert shot, a trained sniper for law enforcement, and a founder/partner in Templar Tactical, a Bozeman-based manufacturer of high-quality firearms."
His mother Patty (Stetson) sent us a fascinating history of his name- I had no idea: "Elisha was named after my great grandfather Elisha Keene Jones who ran away from Danvile, VA to Texas after the Civil War to become a cowboy. When he got tired of that he returned to VA and worked in the tobacco industry... (His cousin was Nancy Langhorne also from Danville-- who later became Lady Astor-- one of the first-- if not the first-- female in British Parliament. Her sister married illustrator Charles Dana Gibson who used her as his model and she became known as "the Gibson Girl"). No one in my family ever used that name. My uncles used to ask me where I got the name--I'd have to remind them about their Grandfather... We called him Lishy when he was little-- then he wanted to be called Eli--then he started using Elisha again. It's a good, honorable, interesting and rarely used name...I love it."
Eli died of Cystic Fibrosis, one of its oldest survivors. He will be a brave example, one who always had fun while being totally aware of his mortality. We approve!
And here are the two Elis.
(Don't worry about the oxygen, normal for Caesarian babies...)
4 comments:
Look at all that hair! I'm jealous, all of mine is falling out.
Manly name for a child of the new century. Congratulations to all. The love and fun have begun.
Haven't heard you so excited in a long time. "Salute" to all of you. story of Eli's name is amazing. I also know an older survivor ofCF (43) who passed away 2 years ago...she also had such a good soul and zest for life. No better trubute to Eli could be better.
Hi everyone, many thanks for all the kind words and congratulations. We've been home since Tuesday afternoon, great to be back after a few days of both the best and worst aspects of modern medicine. But all are well and happy, settling in during a stormy New Mexico autumn. Check my blogs, I should get a photo or two up soon of Eli without the medical paraphernalia.
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