Hi my name is Carl Schutze and I'm raising funds to give my recently deceased dear friend and brother Joseph "Fish" Putney a dignified burial in accordance with his faith practices. Joseph was living on a small disability with very little resources and about to be evicted from his home when he suddenly passed away. The funeral home that is working with us is being very generous in taking care of everything from the preparation of the body according to Baha'i practices, the casket, tombstone and the plot here in Florida for a cost of $8,000.00. Along with some other dear friends who are helping in all this, I am asking for anyone who feels they can contribute anything to help bring Josephs's body to a dignified and respectable burial and place where he will be interred with some other members of his faith. A little background on my friendship with Joseph - I met Joseph under a bridge 13 years ago in Key West while fishing with my 7yr old son who was discovering the joys of fishing. Joseph was finding shelter under the bridge after being hit by a car the night before on his fishing bicycle and trailer he had driven down a few days earlier and was fishing at the same time trying to figure out how to get 25 miles up the Keys. His larger-than-life smile and his kindness towards my son and enthusiasm in sharing his fishing skills won me over immediately and led to a friendly conversation and an offer to take him to his shelter up the Keys (an offer that he replied to with an incredulous "Are you serious? and the biggest smile and shout of joy Golleee!!!) has led to a lifelong friendship that has taught me and others so much and brought me great joy. The last 13yrs were filled with challenges and adventures and a lot of tears and laughter! Joseph was homeless when I met him and over the decade I got to be part of a friendship with one of the most beautiful souls I have ever met and a journey that has opened my eyes to some of the saddest aspects of society and things we take for granted. A gentle giant of a man who has suffered since childhood in ways I am not going to share here but what I want you to know is that even though he lived a life of suffering yet in it all he managed to find a way to smile and survive where others would've quit! He pressed forward with a newfound faith in the teachings of Baha’u’llah – Prophet founder of the Baha’i Faith, to better himself as a human being and along the way helped me become a better human too I like to think! His spiritual insights and purity of heart amazed me and I always knew he was a special soul from the beginning of our friendship and I'm honored to have been someone he considered family. Although the constant challenges of homelessness, substance abuse and the many injustices he experienced and was traumatized by - many that I personally witnessed and helped him navigate through - didn't stop Joseph from reaching for his dreams to help others and find peace and happiness despite his horrific traumas of the past and the current challenges he faced which included physical mobility issues and a potential foot amputation, to being evicted from his home with no place to go. Anyone who had the joy of meeting Joseph and seeing his amazing smile and hearing his infectious laughter and his incredible stories of life and survival were won over! Joseph was on a mission to move to Africa -the Gambia in particular, to find a place for himself and help children over there with the skillsets he'd learned over his lifetime from fixing boat motors, construction and of course his number one skillset and passion - fishing!!! We had just gotten his passport finally sorted and even bought the ticket to Gambia! He was so excited and we had just ordered a set of gym equipment so he could start building some strength in preparation for what would be his first international flight! He was as excited as a little child with kittens and it kept him going. Sadly he suddenly passed away last week from what we believe was a health condition. There is so much I can share with you all about my spiritual brother and dear friend and perhaps one day I will share the story of Finding Fish when I can gather it all together. The world has lost a dear soul who wasn't famous or anything but the world should know his name because he was an example so many of us can be inspired by to help in our own challenges and to help others - Joseph Alexander Putney aka Fish! Till I see you on the other side my friend - I know you are in an ocean of light surrounded in a sea of love and happiness! Please know how much myself and all who know Joseph appreciate whatever amount that anyone chooses to give to this project and I will share pictures of the funeral and his tombstone when it's all done. You can learn more about what the Baha'i Faith says about death at: https://www.bahai.org/beliefs/life-spirit/human-soul/life-death O SON OF THE SUPREME! I have made death a messenger of joy to thee. Wherefore dost thou grieve? I made the light to shed on thee its splendor. Why dost thou veil thyself therefrom? O SON OF SPIRIT! With the joyful tidings of light I hail thee: rejoice! To the court of holiness I summon thee; abide therein that thou mayest live in peace for evermore. O SON OF SPIRIT! The spirit of holiness beareth unto thee the joyful tidings of reunion; wherefore dost thou grieve? The spirit of power confirmeth thee in His cause; why dost thou veil thyself? The light of His countenance doth lead thee; how canst thou go astray? – Baha’u’llah, The Hidden Words, pp. 11-12.
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