Dear Sean,

I miss you! You were one of my first friends in a strange high school when I moved from Texas. I thought you were the coolest and was shocked you wanted to be my friend. You took me under your wing and treated me like a younger brother in a way. Your accent and tone was and will always be unique. You make me laugh man! You still do...I think of so many memories we had, so many times laughing until all hours of the night, that grin of yours, you always had a smile from ear to ear. I try and describe the way you were, the way you talked the way you laughed, who you were and what you stood for to all my friends here in Texas. You bring a smile to my face. I miss you very much. You were like no other. You were a great friend to everyone, we were all lucky to have been close to you, loved by you, shared with you, laughed with you and adventurous with you. You were one of a kind!

I remember when you worked at Ojai Ice Cream, Hahaha! I can still see you back there with your hair in your face making ice cream. Ice cream that wasn’t on the menu. I’m sure you were taught how to make the ice cream the right way, but you did things your way. Hahaha...you’d make me come back there and taste what you were brewing up, “Good-huh?,” (then you’d always answer your own question), “Nooo...need’s more milk, huh?” Haha...!

I remember you always inviting me to come over and skateboard with you, Matt and Rob below your parents house. I remember sitting in your room in high school listening to you play guitar, I had no idea what you were playing, you’d make that funny guitar face and play some riff for a while, then stop...pause and say, “how about that?” (answering your own question again)...”yeah, I think soooo...!”

I asked if you had made that up, you said, “Ha! I wish...no that was Jimmy Page man.....you know, Zeppelin!”

I never knew how to play guitar and you taught me how. You taught me how to play, “How Many More Times,” by Led Zeppelin. I thought it was the most complicated song at the time time. You even gave me an old Peavey guitar of yours to take home and practice with.

I remember you always wanting to hangout with me. I thought that was really cool of you, because I was a new kid in a small town and you treated me like a friend you had known forever. That meant a lot to me Sean, makes me tear up thinking about it. I felt like I didn’t have any friends sometimes, being the “new kid” and you were always such a great friend to me from the first time we met.

After I left Ojai and went to college in Texas, we always stayed in touch, (I don’t know how, this was before cell phones still). After I graduated from college and moved back to California, I lived in Santa Monica and Venice Beach for three years. You would always come down and visit. We had a lot of laughs, shared a lot of stories, went a lot places together and leaned on one another.

I can’t even believe this is happening, I can’t even believe I’m writing any of this. I’ve been listening to, “How Many More Times” on my ipod, in my car, on repeat, for the last two weeks. I sit here and tear-up because you were such an amazing person, such an awesome friend, such a unique individual. You were a leader amongst your peers. I always admired you and looked-up to you Sean. I thought you always had it together when you knew what you wanted to be, which was a Firefighter. Especially at age when we were still learning to wear a belt to school.

Everybody misses you very much. You will always make me smile and laugh brutha! Thank you for being such a great friend to me “Fleming”! I pray you are with our Father in Heaven! I pray your family finds peace in their hearts. You brought endless joy to your family and all your friends. Your presence touched so many lives. You saved so many lives. You will be forever missed.


Your Friend Forever,

Shane Allison