I have two memories of "Danny" Frank Gernand. As our last names were close in the alphabet, we always ended up pretty much next to each other for roll call in PE as we lined up on our numbers. I remember Dan as a slightly edgy, funny, guy. The memory that really sticks out is one day in English class with Mrs. Dearing, we are reading a Shakespeare play aloud, and after Danny reads his part, the text said (exit) - so, he slammed the book shut, and walked out of the room never to return, at least not that day. I thought that was the coolest thing - very ballsy and at the time, pretty much echoing my feelings about Shakespeare. I can still see the look on Mrs. Dearing's face - nonplussed I would say.
Dan and I were close friends in high school. We surfed together, drank beer together, went to the Varsity theater to watch Saturday serials and got into trouble together. Dan was always on the edge when we were young, only at that time I didn't realize it. I was along for the fun and excitement of it all. Everything we did seemed so innocent and harmless. I want to mention some of the crazy things we did, but I can't. Each time I think of something to write, in his wonderful memory, another thought trumps the fist one with something even more absurd. When I returned to the states after living abroad I went back to Palo Alto to see Dan. The Dan I found was not the same Dan I spent so many years with. I tried to re-connect, but he had escaped from reality. The edge caught up with Dan and consumed him. We spoke many times on the phone before he passed away. Our conversations were extemely one-sided as Dan was no longer grounded in our world. These few words are in respect to a wonderful person who enriched my life with some fantastic memories. I know he is resting in peace, at last.
Dan, Thom, myself and others had a wild and crazy time, drinking beer in Dan's garage and continually looking for things to perpetually keep us in "hot water".
I moved away from Palo Alto and when I returned to visit I would always ask my Mom if she knew where Dan was. She said the only contact she had was when she was driving in downtown Palo Alto she would occasionaly hear a loud shout, "Mrs Backlund" and it would be Dan.
When I returned to Palo Alto for a short period of time while working for Bechtel Corp in San Francsico I ran into Dan at the Palo Alto train station while waiting for the train to SF. I heard this shout of my name and It was Dan who had all his possesions in a shopping cart. He was so excited to see me that he left his cart and jumped on the train so he could talk to me. Of course he didn't have a ticket so I paid the conductor for a ticket to San Mateo and return to PA so we could talk. It of course was not the same Dan that I had grown up with and spent a great deal of time with, but it was still good to see him.
I trust that Dan has found peace in passing and I will always remember him as a good friend.
Mike Goltzer's note about Dan exiting the class reminded me of one time we were at church, in a youth group setting, reading from the bible. After one verse was read the instructor made the mistake of saying "you will run across this theme many times in your life." Dan spoke up and said "I think I will run across it now." And he placed the bible on the ground and walked over it.
My only thought was "do you really want to screw with GOD ??"
Michael Goltzer
I have two memories of "Danny" Frank Gernand. As our last names were close in the alphabet, we always ended up pretty much next to each other for roll call in PE as we lined up on our numbers. I remember Dan as a slightly edgy, funny, guy. The memory that really sticks out is one day in English class with Mrs. Dearing, we are reading a Shakespeare play aloud, and after Danny reads his part, the text said (exit) - so, he slammed the book shut, and walked out of the room never to return, at least not that day. I thought that was the coolest thing - very ballsy and at the time, pretty much echoing my feelings about Shakespeare. I can still see the look on Mrs. Dearing's face - nonplussed I would say.
RIP Dan.
Thomas Michael Donnelly
Dan and I were close friends in high school. We surfed together, drank beer together, went to the Varsity theater to watch Saturday serials and got into trouble together. Dan was always on the edge when we were young, only at that time I didn't realize it. I was along for the fun and excitement of it all. Everything we did seemed so innocent and harmless. I want to mention some of the crazy things we did, but I can't. Each time I think of something to write, in his wonderful memory, another thought trumps the fist one with something even more absurd. When I returned to the states after living abroad I went back to Palo Alto to see Dan. The Dan I found was not the same Dan I spent so many years with. I tried to re-connect, but he had escaped from reality. The edge caught up with Dan and consumed him. We spoke many times on the phone before he passed away. Our conversations were extemely one-sided as Dan was no longer grounded in our world. These few words are in respect to a wonderful person who enriched my life with some fantastic memories. I know he is resting in peace, at last.
Michael Backlund
Dan, Thom, myself and others had a wild and crazy time, drinking beer in Dan's garage and continually looking for things to perpetually keep us in "hot water".
I moved away from Palo Alto and when I returned to visit I would always ask my Mom if she knew where Dan was. She said the only contact she had was when she was driving in downtown Palo Alto she would occasionaly hear a loud shout, "Mrs Backlund" and it would be Dan.
When I returned to Palo Alto for a short period of time while working for Bechtel Corp in San Francsico I ran into Dan at the Palo Alto train station while waiting for the train to SF. I heard this shout of my name and It was Dan who had all his possesions in a shopping cart. He was so excited to see me that he left his cart and jumped on the train so he could talk to me. Of course he didn't have a ticket so I paid the conductor for a ticket to San Mateo and return to PA so we could talk. It of course was not the same Dan that I had grown up with and spent a great deal of time with, but it was still good to see him.
I trust that Dan has found peace in passing and I will always remember him as a good friend.
Richard Schump
Mike Goltzer's note about Dan exiting the class reminded me of one time we were at church, in a youth group setting, reading from the bible. After one verse was read the instructor made the mistake of saying "you will run across this theme many times in your life." Dan spoke up and said "I think I will run across it now." And he placed the bible on the ground and walked over it.
My only thought was "do you really want to screw with GOD ??"