John Stowe

1952–2009

RFD is saddened to learn that one of the community’s respected leaders on spirituality and herbalism has died suddenly. John R. Stowe authored several books on gay male spirituality, including the seminal, Gay Spirit Warrior as well as several books on herbalism and nature. He was one of the charter members of Gay Spirit Visions in Atlanta, an organization with roots in the old Running Water Sanctuary in North Carolina. Our thoughts go out to his partner, Monty Schuth.

From the Atlanta Journal Constitution 2/8/09

Plenty of people plant trees. Few showed the commitment of John Stowe, who not only planted hundreds of them in metro Atlanta, but for a few years in his 30s changed his name to Yarrow Treefriend. “He was one of the earliest pioneers of environmentalism; we were keeping mulch piles in the mid’70s,” said Tom Sechrest of Austin, Texas, his former college roommate and longtime friend. “He was about living in harmony with the Earth.”

Monty Schuth estimates that his longtime partner, John Stowe, planted hundreds of trees in metro Atlanta, many of them with the group Trees Atlanta. Those trees include the crape myrtles along the MARTA tracks near Candler Park. At various times, and sometimes simultaneously, Mr. Stowe was a lecturer at Georgia State University — where he taught English as a second language — massage therapist, professional chef, natural healer and author.

Mr. Stowe, of Decatur, collapsed while walking Tuesday in downtown Atlanta on break between Georgia State classes, and he died of a heart attack. He was 56. His body has been cremated. A memorial service is planned for 4:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Friends Meeting House, 701 W. Howard Ave., Decatur. A.S. Turner & Sons of Decatur is handling arrangements. As news of his death spread, some of his students set up a Facebook tribute, “On the Reminiscence of John Stowe.” By Saturday, more than 150 people had signed on. Many of his students expressed shock and grief at his death.

Stowe was known among his students for having groups for big parties out to the house he shared in Decatur with his partner of 25 years, Monty Schuth.

“A lot of his students came from overseas, and he was inspiring,” said John Bunting of Tucker, a colleague at Georgia State. “He was incredible how he made connections between language and making his students feel comfortable and confident.”

Margareta Larsson, a GSU colleague who shared an office with Mr. Stowe, said: “He was so into nature. He was a guy that he would give you a rock, and it would feel really, really special.” Mr. Schuth estimated that Mr. Stowe planted hundreds of trees in metro Atlanta, many of them with Trees Atlanta, including the crape myrtles along the MARTA tracks near Candler Park. His love of trees and plants led him to become a natural healer, manufacturing flower essences, for years. He also volunteered to teach non-native high school students in metro Atlanta how to write college applications.

John Robert Stowe was born Aug. 19, 1952, in Ambler, Pa. After earning a master’s degree in ichthyology at Florida State University, he moved to the Atlanta area in 1976 and taught biology at Kennesaw College (today’s Kennesaw State University).

After four years at Kennesaw, Mr. Stowe left to travel through Mexico and Central America. A veteran traveler and linguist, he was teaching himself Mandarin Chinese, using language tapes, when he died.

Mr. Stowe also is survived by his mother, Marge Stowe; sister, Carolyn Shaner; and brother, James Stowe.

Mr. Schuth asked mourners to plant a tree in honor of Mr. Stowe — “something flowery and hardy.”

Martin Delaney

1945–2009

RFD has learned via Middle (Mark Hubbard) at Lifelube. org about the passing of Martin Delaney in San Francisco - a vital member of the AIDS treatment community that worked to release experimental HIV drugs for treatment in the early days of anti-retroviral medicine. Below is Mark’s note from Lifelube.org. Martin’s death has been covered in most major media in the last few days and it shows the important role he played in community health.

By Mark Hubbard

Last Monday, the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases awarded a Director’s Special Recognition Award to Martin for his many contributions to the fight against HIV/ AIDS

By now, many of you know that Martin Delaney (of Project Inform) died peacefully Friday morning, January 23, 2009,

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