We're taking a one-day break from our Sandy Hook photos today to talk about a very special person. A few years ago Jerry Gerson and his wife Jeanne arrived in the Highlands, and three years ago this month they created a completely unique coffee shop in the center of town. This coffee shop wasn't a chain; the furniture was 100% yard sale vintage; and the music was piped in from WFUV or any number of other unique internet radio stations Jerry was able to research and discover. Within weeks, The Water Witch Coffee and Tea Company became "the" go-to place for all residents -- in part because of the outstanding coffee and fresh-baked pastries, but mostly because of Jerry himself, who was a fixture in the shop, offering ongoing conversation and advice on everything from how to fix a toilet to getting a bicycle in top-flight condition. Jerry was able to relate to any one he met, no matter what their background or station in life, usually within just minutes of first meeting them.
One year ago, Jerry was diagnosed with cancer, and he fought it with such spirit that it was easy to forget the severity of his disease. But last Friday, he lost the fight. True to his style, a memorial gathering last night was followed by a reception at the coffee shop he founded. The enormity of the people who attended, squeezed body-to-body in a standing-room-only celebration of his life, was exceeded only by the enormity of Jerry's generosity, energy, kindness, and popularity. This shot was taken almost exactly a year ago during a snowfall in Highlands, when the day's very first indicator of life and warmth came from the coffee shop, founded by the person for whom life and warmth will always be synonymous.
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