I got news yesterday that Jeff Hamlin has passed on. Jeff was not too much older than me. He was an entrepreneur who helped start Pizza Express in Bloomington, Indiana. Throughout the calendar year of 1996 he helped us try to figure out a business plan for ROX. We did not succeed, but it sure felt like we came close. Jeff was a great guy.
The day before that, my friend David informed me that he’s going to be moving on up to Toronto, at least for a while. (His girlfriend’s Canadian.) I know that’s a difficult choice for him, as he loves New Orleans. But he had a bad house fire a couple months back, and his life is now pretty unsettled, so I’m sure this is the right choice at this moment. It so happens that David was the person who first got me interested in the Lafitte Greenway project which has been slowly inching forward.
Departing friends… I’ll miss them both.
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I’m in shock, Bart. Do you know anything about the circumstances of Jeff’s death?
Sad to hear about your missing friends Bart.
BTW- I ate many pizzas from the Express when I was up there helping to open the Border’s book shop.
It’ll be tough leaving New Orleans. I know that for a fact. Living up here in the frigid Northwest I miss New Orleans everyday. Seattle’s got its own cultural appeal of course but it’s not New Orleans.
Used to live in Seattle back in the early ’80s. Nice place but I preferred the other side of the Sound.
David’s leaving? Man, I’m bummed, too. I hear that Toronto is lovely, though, and I really like Canada and Canadians.
Jeff’s obituary