Well Done, Greenman -- You Live On In All Of Us

My favorite story of my uncle Peter is not just based on one particular episode. Peter had so much comedic personality in him its hard to point out just one.

I fondly remember the green pumas that he jumped into the pool @ his sister Nancys house, his love for Tab soda, yelling at my cousin Marie and I as we sat on the basement stairs secretly listening to him play "Smoke on the Water", the baritone voice who read to me "Where the Monsters are".

I can see him clearly whistling down 18th street on his ten speed with no hands and thinking that's cool. I remember the first purple skateboard he gave me and the lesson!! Loved the ice tea in the summer and pool parties.

Hated when he would scare Marie and I with masks but loved the time we broke Grandpas back window at Mickey Ds and he took the blame for it. And I profoundly remember asking him to be my son Antonio's godfather and Baptise him. Antonio is very saddened by his death and was the first one to tell me.

He is the first boy in 36years to come into this estrogenic powerhouse of girls. Antonio will make his Confirmation this year and will take Petrus as his name. Peter's cross that laid on his coffin hangs over his bed to always protect him. He now takes guitar lesson with Stan Pillis a longtime friend of Peter and former member of Canivore. He holds Perer's pic in hopes of playing like this genius someday.( I am waiting for my son to hit puberty for his voice to deepen.)

Peter's talents, generosity, devotion to his fans and family will always be front and center. When I think of Peter I am not sad, he always made me laugh! He always lived like there was no tomorrow. For a man of 48 although too soon to depart from us, he did what he wanted, said what he wanted and didn't pretend to be a megastar, he was real.

He sang about the stuff we all push down and he embraced his stature ,christian upbringing and all the demons. We didn't have much but we had each other. Born and raised on the Brooklyn streets, the era was grand. He is missed but had lived a life only some of us could only dream of.

Well done, Greenman you live on in all of us...family friends and eternal fans who get it. While others were stealing from you, tears rolled down my face to find a paint set you kept that was my favorite comfort as a child. I visit your grave often in the early morning hours after delivering a new life. Its a paradox that i come to you for comfort even though you are not physically here, you are always here.

When I scream for blood you know I need TYPE O NEG to save my patients' life. You are always with me.

Love Tara