Alex and me at Sun Devil Stadium before the Jumbotron screening of Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You. Alex made this event come to life along with his friend, George Rush. They also brought Mr. Riley to campus to do a Q&A with our students, also on the Jumbotron. What can I say... Alex loves big ideas.
Andrea asked me to post what I wrote on FB. It was completely inspired by Alex’s spirit. Even though I still shed tears, I also still feel his mirth, his mischievousness, his brilliant mind, and his loyal soul.
May 12, 2020
I cried today. Surprisingly hard.
My dear friend, Alex Witherill, has apparently passed. At least that’s what it looks like from what I’m seeing on his Facebook page. I can’t find an obit. I can’t even remember why I was going to look at his Facebook page. It’s still hard for me to actually believe this.
From the moment Ted Hope magically introduced us at the San Francisco Film Society, Alex and I became dream partners. He was the validator of my nascent ideas and ENDLESSLY supportive. His own ideas were filled with energy and built on principle.
During the shut in, Alex and I were talking 2-3 times a week. His optimism was boundless, even if he, like all of us, had dour moments. Truth is, I never saw those. He was always positive with me, even during these troubled times.
Alex was as delightful a human being as one will ever meet. Funny, smart, charming, fun – and, as someone else posted, he definitely had some Han Solo in him. But he didn’t just have the rakish rebel gene; Alex also had Solo’s sense of loyalty to his friends and to what’s right. It’s pretty cool having Han Solo backing you up. My world feels emptier and a little scarier without him.
Alex was a deep thinker. He cared about the world. He was passionate about his opinions but always open and eminently reasonable. I just loved talking with that guy. We were pretty sure that, between the two of us, we could solve all the world’s problems.
When I was losing it earlier today, I wondered why, exactly, I was crying. I wanted to know the specific loss. Aside from feeling terrible for Alex’s family and friends, my tears were greedy. I just wanted more time with Alex. Time to enjoy this wonderful person. And I wanted my pal, the guy who let me dream.
We had known each other for 7 years, but he only brought up spirituality to me during these past couple of months. Always the rationalist, any notions of transcendence had to pass his intellectual smell test. But he definitely had notions.
