Dear Friends,
We are working on a memorial service for Wednesday, times and details will be posted later today. If you would like to make a donation in Whit's memory, we are asking those be made to Circle Tail, an animal shelter in Loveland, Ohio. Whit had recently told Jeff that he hoped to volunteer at an animal shelter when he got out of prison.
Circle Tail works with a local prison to foster their shelter animals before they are placed in a permanent home: it's a win-win.
More soon, I promise.
Jeff & Family
Monday, April 6, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Cards from Whit
I know now that some of you received greeting cards from Whit shortly before his passing. He mailed them to persons he felt especially close to. This is what mine said:
My beloved Pops,
It's been a wild ride, huh. Yet you never once wavered as a friend or a father. A kid couldn't ask for a better father. You're awesome.
With all the love I have,
Whitney
In addition to the blog, I have more than a thousand letters he wrote to me. Every single word in the blog and letters is a testament to his love, honesty and sincerity. His life was painfully short, and it was painful and short. I do not know if or how I will go on, but if I am able, it will be to honor his life. I hope some of you will find ways to honor it as well.
Jeff
My beloved Pops,
It's been a wild ride, huh. Yet you never once wavered as a friend or a father. A kid couldn't ask for a better father. You're awesome.
With all the love I have,
Whitney
In addition to the blog, I have more than a thousand letters he wrote to me. Every single word in the blog and letters is a testament to his love, honesty and sincerity. His life was painfully short, and it was painful and short. I do not know if or how I will go on, but if I am able, it will be to honor his life. I hope some of you will find ways to honor it as well.
Jeff
My son
On Saturday morning my beloved son, Whitney Holwadel Smith, took his own life. The prison and justice system took everything else from him, and this was all he had left. Whitney was my life, and now he and that are gone.
I am sorry that I am unable to respond to those of you who have written about this. I want you to know that the people who read his thoughts here were a source of some happiness, or at least something like that, in a life that otherwise knew very little happiness.
At some point I hope to be able to make people with a real voice in these matters aware of who my son was, and how he was ultimately broken by the system. He spent the last year of his life in solitary confinement, he was not allowed to see me in person or even call me. He was tortured to death. And I cannot write anymore now. Please remember my son, and do what you can to honor him.
Love,
Jeff Smith
I am sorry that I am unable to respond to those of you who have written about this. I want you to know that the people who read his thoughts here were a source of some happiness, or at least something like that, in a life that otherwise knew very little happiness.
At some point I hope to be able to make people with a real voice in these matters aware of who my son was, and how he was ultimately broken by the system. He spent the last year of his life in solitary confinement, he was not allowed to see me in person or even call me. He was tortured to death. And I cannot write anymore now. Please remember my son, and do what you can to honor him.
Love,
Jeff Smith
Saturday, April 4, 2009
My son is dead
My son Whitney died this morning. They won't tell me how. I suppose he was killed by another inmate. I don't know what to do.
Jeff Smith
Jeff Smith
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