It brings me great sadness to have to say this. Our Rainbow brother Troy Thornton has tragically passed away and onword just hours ago in Prineville, Oregon. He had a seizure in his bus, fell and hit his head.
I am so sad this happened.
Quote from a rainbow friend that I respect and still have contact with.
Troy
How best to remember him. White mechanical genius. Absolutely no kidding this guy could fix a broke down hippie like MacGyver.
Had his own little mechanical shop and did phenomenal work most times for the rainbow family homeless population for free. At worst he was extremely fair and would allow you to work off your debts at a reasonable and fair rate. As well as he did shelter quite a few homeless individuals.
I actually had a lot of respect for his heart generosity and his ability to share way more than he really had.
No not all rainbows are evil horrible people and just like everything it's not always sunshine.
the biggest thing I remember about troy was because he was so giving. He always kept giving until it hurt and it hurt himself really bad. He's homeless Street people would steal his working vehicles that he was in the process of selling because he just got them fixed and that money was going to provide for his rent and electricity.
As a man of little means every theft reduces his chances at being able to get ahead.
Tall lanky and with some pretty long arms my favorite memories are of helping stranded hippies actually revive their beater car that is spewing oil and other unenvironmentally friendly fluids everywhere. But for many years he was a phenomenal individual in helping clear the woods of as many broke down junker vehicles as possible so the forest service didn't have to tow thousands of broke down vehicles.
In quite a few cases the original owners had abandoned them and new hippies without a sent to their name ended up driving off in a new to them vehicle. And watching 20 people suddenly get gifted cars and the ability to be self-sufficient with their transportation? As well as learning why their car breaks down frequently and the quick and easy ways to fix them first hand in front of an extremely knowledgeable instructor...
it's definitely was one of the great individuals of the rainbow family and I am very honored to have known and spent time with this man.
I don't hate all rainbows.
within every organization there does happen to be quite a few very good human beings.
And just because Troy was such an amazing individual is why I am writing this little tribute to him.
This is definitely a man that deserves recognition for being an excellent upstanding human being.
Even when it hurts this man continued to give above and beyond.
During Shanta Sena movies he was always a very calm relaxed individual that could help to de-escalate and defuse wing nuts just with his simple smile and easy going manner.
A native out of prineville Oregon the last regional gathering I remember getting to visit his little spot.
One of his biggest loves was converting Vans into amazing traveling vehicles that were part then part truck or just some kind of crazy mechanical genius.
All I can say is truly this is one of the great individuals of the organization passing.
Actually not very many people will remember him because he never had that kind of ego.
However his actions will be known.
the fact that he has touched so many lives over the course of his life? That is an amazing blessing it an example that I will always aspire to be.
I may not have the same skills with automotive mechanics. But I can try to follow an example of an amazing individual.
Thank you to the blockchain for being able to make this possible to memorialize a very amazing individual.
May we all aspire to pay it forward to such a degree that it has a huge effect on others.
During the last gathering that I went to outside of prineville Oregon he had came over to pet Zeus and hang out with me. he thought that I had an exceptional little van with Noreen and really enjoyed how I had put things together as well as the solar panel system and the wood stove.
And in fact he really helped me out by suggesting the proper roof sealant! And techniques to help seal up my roof really well.
Every time I saw this man he always had a smile. An individual that truly loved life and being in nature. That last year of rainbow Oregon regional there were wild horses there that all of us would go sit and watch from a distance.
Troy was always very hard worker but very smart about working. If there was an easier more reliable way to do things he would take the extra time. It's just the kind of person that he was.
thank you very much Troy for all the fond memories and the time that you spent educating me about automotive mechanics.