Gary Riggs - Sarge

Last weekend my high school, Marin Academy, had a gathering and from that I learned that a classmate of mine died within the last couple of years.

Gary "Sarge" Riggs, the second from the left in this picture, was an energetic young man from whom school was not a refuge.  Gary also had plans and schemes going on, but the grunt work of academics wasn't his gig.  I never met his family so I don't know what his context was.  I got the feeling that Gary was perceived at home as not quite measuring up - but that could be all me.  Last I heard of Gary he had dropped out of college as he had heart problems with the sack around his heart swelling up.

I learned tonight that he died on the streets of San Rafael two years ago.  How do you go from private school to dying on the streets of your hometown?  This is so far beyond sad that I can't even get a handle on it.

I wish this story had a different ending.  I suspect Gary's path was pretty rough and tumble...

Damn.

20.