dave lackey
Veteran
The good and bad of photographic essays.
Today, I found out that a good friend, Joe Castle of Grantville, Ga. passed away on June 30th....
Joe Castle, a decorated Vietnam Veteran and long-time resident of Grantville passed on June 30, 2012. He was 64. A gathering of friends and neighbors, was well attended, and was held at Colley Park to remember Mr. Castle July, 3rd. Joe was an Army veteran of the Veitnam War and is survived by his sons, Jack Castle, James Castle of Marion, KY. and Daniel Castle of Colunbia SC. He also leaves three grandchildren. Mr Castle was heavily involved with the Grantville Veterans Association downtown and was vital fighting for the interest and beautification of the city of Grantville and its residents. He will be missed.
I met Joe in 2010 at a Fall festival for the town where I was shooting the small town parade for our local Congressman in Washington. From there, I spent six months last year walking the streets and talking with everyone in the town as I documented "the town that time forgot". It would not have been possible without the friendship and help of Joe Castle.
He suffered a lot through my six months stay in Grantville with continued heart problems and eventually dialysis. Yet, he was always happy to see me and it really made him feel better when he was able to help me with any information about the town, it's residents and...everything but himself.
A decorated Vietnam war veteran.
With hardly a penny to spare living on Social Security, medicaid and sheer determination. A kind individual that I found through happenstance, or was it?
His lady friend suffered a debilitating stroke after I had finished the book on Grantville and I gave Joe some pictures of him and also of him and her together. He visited her at her home with both of them in powered scooters, because neither was able to walk. Real characters, the both of them. Dirt poor but friendly folks, what I call "real people". I think my time with Joe made him feel as good as I did...at least I hope I brought him some happiness and the photo of him above is in my last documentary, along with the photo of Joe and his lady friend.
I found out about his passing today when I was asked to re-shoot in color, the most historically significant home in Grantville. I was saddened to the point of not being able to get a single keeper. I will go back this weekend and try again.
But, I did get this one photo of Joe's final resting place at the corner of Main Street and La Grange Street. The Thrift Store in the background was moved recently from the opposite corner near the railroad due to new owners of that building. Joe was always there helping out as a veteran, raising some cash and donations. According to his wishes, this decorated Vietnam War Veteran was cremated and his ashes spread around the crepe myrtle tree in this photo because it was where he spent his days with a bird feeder, a bird bath, and where he held court on Main Street with his friends.
The good part of documentary work is recording people, places and events. The bad part is losing someone you get to know through that process and it is inevitable for me to become attached to those characters, even to the point of having a special bond with a few of them.
I haven't sorted out my feelings yet, I have no closure. I miss him. I hate that his final resting place is such a place shown in the image above with only a few friends in town having a memorial for him. A decorated veteran reduced to ashes around a bird bath to be washed down the drainage pipe with the first rain....
I am honored to have known him and I am blessed to have included him in my last documentary. He will live on in memory and in black and white print, produced by me with a Leica M3 and TriX film.
http://www.adoramapix.com/davegt/book/meanwhile-in-grantville-georgia-1
Somehow that is enough for now.
Today, I found out that a good friend, Joe Castle of Grantville, Ga. passed away on June 30th....
Friday July 6, 2012
[SIZE=+2]Joe Castle Mourned[/SIZE]
Decorated Vietnam Vet Passes On
By City News [SIZE=+2]Joe Castle Mourned[/SIZE]
Decorated Vietnam Vet Passes On
Joe Castle, a decorated Vietnam Veteran and long-time resident of Grantville passed on June 30, 2012. He was 64. A gathering of friends and neighbors, was well attended, and was held at Colley Park to remember Mr. Castle July, 3rd. Joe was an Army veteran of the Veitnam War and is survived by his sons, Jack Castle, James Castle of Marion, KY. and Daniel Castle of Colunbia SC. He also leaves three grandchildren. Mr Castle was heavily involved with the Grantville Veterans Association downtown and was vital fighting for the interest and beautification of the city of Grantville and its residents. He will be missed.
I met Joe in 2010 at a Fall festival for the town where I was shooting the small town parade for our local Congressman in Washington. From there, I spent six months last year walking the streets and talking with everyone in the town as I documented "the town that time forgot". It would not have been possible without the friendship and help of Joe Castle.
He suffered a lot through my six months stay in Grantville with continued heart problems and eventually dialysis. Yet, he was always happy to see me and it really made him feel better when he was able to help me with any information about the town, it's residents and...everything but himself.
A decorated Vietnam war veteran.
With hardly a penny to spare living on Social Security, medicaid and sheer determination. A kind individual that I found through happenstance, or was it?
His lady friend suffered a debilitating stroke after I had finished the book on Grantville and I gave Joe some pictures of him and also of him and her together. He visited her at her home with both of them in powered scooters, because neither was able to walk. Real characters, the both of them. Dirt poor but friendly folks, what I call "real people". I think my time with Joe made him feel as good as I did...at least I hope I brought him some happiness and the photo of him above is in my last documentary, along with the photo of Joe and his lady friend.
I found out about his passing today when I was asked to re-shoot in color, the most historically significant home in Grantville. I was saddened to the point of not being able to get a single keeper. I will go back this weekend and try again.
But, I did get this one photo of Joe's final resting place at the corner of Main Street and La Grange Street. The Thrift Store in the background was moved recently from the opposite corner near the railroad due to new owners of that building. Joe was always there helping out as a veteran, raising some cash and donations. According to his wishes, this decorated Vietnam War Veteran was cremated and his ashes spread around the crepe myrtle tree in this photo because it was where he spent his days with a bird feeder, a bird bath, and where he held court on Main Street with his friends.
The good part of documentary work is recording people, places and events. The bad part is losing someone you get to know through that process and it is inevitable for me to become attached to those characters, even to the point of having a special bond with a few of them.
I haven't sorted out my feelings yet, I have no closure. I miss him. I hate that his final resting place is such a place shown in the image above with only a few friends in town having a memorial for him. A decorated veteran reduced to ashes around a bird bath to be washed down the drainage pipe with the first rain....
I am honored to have known him and I am blessed to have included him in my last documentary. He will live on in memory and in black and white print, produced by me with a Leica M3 and TriX film.
http://www.adoramapix.com/davegt/book/meanwhile-in-grantville-georgia-1
Somehow that is enough for now.
Attachments
kdemas
Enjoy Life.
Thank you for sharing Dave and I'm sorry for your loss.
muser53
MUSER53
A fitting and deeply felt eulogy ...may he RIP.
gb hill
Veteran
Thanks for sharing Dave. Grantville lost a real hero & outstanding citizen. You have documented him in a way that will keep him in it's town's memory. This perhaps should be something all us could do, especially those of us who live in small towns.
Rick Waldroup
Well-known
Thanks, Dave. You just made my day with this very humanistic, noble, and heartfelt eulogy.
Joe, I am sure, will be long remembered in his community.
Joe, I am sure, will be long remembered in his community.
Bob Michaels
nobody special
Dave: You and Mr. Castle are both lucky that you could add something positive to his life and he to yours. Too many people included in my photo series are not with us any more. Some I attended their funerals, some I learned about too late. In fact, I am going to a funeral this coming Saturday for someone I knew. At least, he had 91 good years and died quickly.
Sorry to hear this Dave.
dave lackey
Veteran
Thanks guys...it is an unintended consequence when a documentary process results in bonds to people and places. Just something I had not really anticipated even after spending a career in city/town planning working at neighborhood levels.
This is why I think photographic documentaries are so important and fulfilling.
This is why I think photographic documentaries are so important and fulfilling.