It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our dear friend Joel Jorgensen. Joel was a fixture in the Castro district where he lived for 16 years. He often referred to the Castro as his downtown where he loved visiting with shopkeepers, hanging out with old friends and welcoming opportunities to make new ones over a cup of coffee.
Throughout his life, Joel fulfilled many roles: teacher, caregiver, counselor, designer, director, confidante, salesman, and volunteer. To those who knew him (and even those he had often just met!), Joel was unabashedly irreverent, delightfully depraved, and generous to a fault.
A native of South Dakota, Joel taught English, Speech and Theatre at Lincoln Senior High School in Sioux Falls for more than 10 years. Before embarking on his teaching career, Joel was an intake technician for the U.S. Army at what was then called the Mental Hygiene Clinic at Fort Ord, California. He also served honorably in Vietnam.
Like most of us, Joel�s life took some unexpected detours and he endured his share of disappointment, but his spirit and light persevered. Joel was a grateful steward of the precious present and he eagerly shared it with everyone he met.