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| 2007: Phil & Janelle’s Wedding |
Hi, this is Janelle! Next Saturday, February 12, 2011, will mark the one-year anniversary of the day my dad, Gene Yang, went home to heaven.
Shortly after my dad died, one of his best friends, Wes Baker, wanted to establish a crew of my dad’s riding and hiking buddies. He wanted to name it The Gene Yang Gang, and there were stipulations to be a member; you had to have ridden at least 1000 miles, hiked so many miles, or had at least one crash involving my dad. Sorry, Wes… we sort of hijacked your membership last October when we ordered 50 Gene Yang Gang jerseys for both outdoor adventure buddies and inert friends/family members!
I’m launching this blog as a collective place to gather tidbits about my dad, since gathering them in the last year has been so incredibly healing. I’m hoping to create posts about any facet of my dad’s life. Quirks he had. Scrapbook pages I’ve made about him. Childhood stories. Photos and tales about hikes, bikes, runs, and challenges that have been undertaken in his honor since he’s been gone. Celebrations with, and for him. Stories about him and my mom. Memories of outdoor adventures, dental stories, or funny anecdotes. If you’ve known Gene Yang for any period of time and you have a piece that you’d like to share here, please email me and we’ll work together to create a post!
They say the first year after someone passes away is the hardest, but with all the support we’ve had from The Gene Yang Gang, the road hasn’t been as rough. We are so grateful for your friendship and your dedication to helping keep my Papa’s memory alive! Hope you enjoy this little piece of cyberspace!