Here are some photos from a collection of Photos of Joseph Hudgins. If you have more photos please contact Lyle.

Bellow are comments and memories of Joe from friends and family. If you have more to add, please let me know and I will add them to this page. ---Lyle

Penelope Protheroe

I love the pictures of Joseph- Thank you.

I thought it might be comforting for Joseph's friends to know that I saw Joseph three moths ago. I thanked him for being so kind, loving and jovial with me when I was 19 and new in the world. I told him that he was a comfort and a grounding strength to me...he stood up to hug me and we both cried in appreciation of each other. He said, "You have no idea how much that means to me."

Then a week ago on his birthday 12/30, Joseph called me for a Reading. It was a beautiful reading - he connected with Spirit and he did guided healing work which he said brought him a lot of inner peace. He said "I really forgive the past - I really don't blame John P. for anything anymore - he was lost - I hope he has a happy life." When the reading was over my inner voice was telling me to call him back that our reading was not done yet, so I called him back that evening and offered him another - different type of reading. He laughed and said, "yes I would love one, but I've had a couple of beers." We laughed and agreed to talk in the morning, so on New Year's Eve day at 10 am we shared the most amazing time together.

We looked at a past-life when he lived as a monk in solitude and devotion - and we laughed again when I said, "What life-time weren't you a monk living in solitude?" As I read each chakra and the meaning of each symbol it was becoming more and more evident that the reading was about complete validation. About complete acceptance of himself in this moment in time- everything was aligned with his Spirit to be just where is was at now. He loved the truth of these words when I said, "having a birthday at the end of the year I see you're riding the wave of transformation into the energy of 2012...a new beginning."

He laughed his big hearted laugh again and said, "Thank you, you know you're good at what you do, but do you mind if I still call you Penny." More laughing and a sweet good-by. God bless this beautiful soul ~ our friend Joseph. Thank you for reading my story. Love, "Penny"

Shirlee Byrd

"I remember most of all his laugh! And he told me that the world would come to an end in 2012. I argued and he laughed and we made a bet. I shall miss most the laugh either on the telephone or when he came by to see us. We always laughed and we always argued and he won our bet, I guess"

Tom Goldrup

"Sorry to hear about Joe. He was a great guy; really liked him a lot."

Jamie Snider

Thanks so much for calling in after hearing my dedication to Joe Hudgins on GeekSpeak.

Jack Bowers

"Lyle- Joe & I were roommates in Santa Cruz for about 9 months in 1976-77, on Towne Terrace, near SC High. Joe was learning "These Foolish Things" on the piano during our time together. "The winds of March that make my heart a dancer, a telephone that rings but who's to answer, Oh how the ghost of you clings, these foolish things remind me of you.""

Sarah Araya

"It wasn't Thankgiving without Joe!! A great guy...beautiful fotos Lyle. He has some loving arms to welcome him


Acacia Bowers Fruitgarden

"Joe had such a big happy presence. So sorry to hear that light has died. I will miss him."

Sue Edmundson Helm

"So sorry Lyle, for your loss. He must have been a beautiful human being. He sure was handsome! Hugs"

Adriana Troxell Elliot

"I had no idea! [about stories]I remember especially a continuing story about an adventurous boy - something of a cross between King Arthur and Lord of the Rings. Also remember stories about driving famous people in his limo in Hollywood - he brought me autographs of Ringo Starr and Deborah Harry on limo receipt paper. Peaceful journey to you, Uncle Jofus."

Marina Troxell

Marina Troxell commented on a post you were tagged in.

"While speaking to Mom yesterday, I momentarily, as an excuse or as a shield for my heart, agreed that I just wouldn't "go there". It was too early, too sudden to grieve for Uncle Jofist. All of your kind words and memories shared have broken my resolve; it is impossible not to grieve for such a man as Uncle Joe - my hero, my bridge partner, my friend, my Uncle with the best, most free and fearless, open laugh in the wide, wonderful world. He taught me how to forgive and how to throw my head back, even in the midst of fear and unknown trials, and laugh shamelessly. Thank you, God, for putting Joe in my life. Thank you, Uncle Jofist, for the stories that you gave us through your thoughtful, smacking smiles. Thank you, Joe, most of all, for your sacrifice when you willingly readied your self to give me your kidney. I never thanked you or loved you enough while you were with me. Keep on laughing."

Lyle Troxell

Joseph Hudgins passed away on January 1st, 2012. I put up some photos of him and I am crying a lot. When I was a kid we called him Joefus and at some point I migrated that to Joe-fist, to me he was a bit of a super hero; I mean he was a SCUBA diver! After I had learned to SCUBA dive I had a long talk with him about his horrible story about SCUBA diving and loosing his friend.0

As kids my systers and I would jump up and down whenever he came to visit "tell us a story, tell us a story, tell us a story Joe-Fist!" - I will miss you more then I can say.

I remember Marina and me each grabbing one of his legs, sitting on his shoes, begging him not to leave. I didn't like saying goodbye to him, our storyteller, our warm laughing man, My uncle Joe. Goodbye Joe-Fist.

Roberta Ricketts

Gosh, I wasn't all that close to Joe...actually don't think that he liked me much. The first time I met him was when I visited Peter in Bonny Doon in the pre-Plantation days. Collin and I were living with a group of people in Kentfield and I was the "house mother" and chief babysitter. Anyway, I couldn't shake the tendency to be a "neat freak" and in cleaning up after a late night party (ah, during which Joe taught me to cast an I Ching the old way using yarrow sticks, a ritual that I've followed at least twice a year since then!) I threw out a little ball of foil that contained a precious substance. Joe was furious with me. (probably not a usable memory?) I also remember a comment he made about Susannah's middle name, Isabella, which upsets me still.. I found Joe to be interesting and rather mysterious, a bit too cynical for me, although he had a great laugh, which I can still hear in my inner ears! I was a bit shy around him and never got to know him well enough to get past the fantasies.

Will Yaryan

"Oh Joe, why did you leave without saying goodbye? I'll miss you and your laugh."

Molly Hartwell

"What a beautiful soul he was....is....i remember as a child, feeling like i was in the orbit of a big warm sun when he was around..

S. Jane Seeley

Virginia, a few years back Joseph's brother Bill from Massachusetts was visiting him & they drove down to Shasta, Joseph wanted him to meet a "friend". I fixed them both dinner & got to know Bill a bit. Joseph gave Bill my number as a contact person & he called me Tuesday night & we connected Wednesday morning when he told me about Joseph.

On Sunday New Year's day, just a couple days after Joe's 67th birthday, Joe tried to call his brother around 12:40 pm and then a few minutes later; he did not reach Bill. Then he dialed 911. I do not know if Joe had passed when the paramedics reached him as he lived a good 15 minutes out of town, but he had had a massive heart attack. I will learn more when I see Bill on Sunday.

I know Joseph spent a lot of time with your family, he often would stop here in Mt. Shasta on his way down or back. We'd visit, I'd feed him or give him coffee and we have been good friends for a long time. And while I've heard stories about your family, I do not remember them all, but I remembered you were related somehow, now the names ring a bell. Joe would also come down to Shasta for my parties & I saw him frequently in Ashland & we talked about once a month.

I've been talking to people and learned a few amazing things; he did go out Saturday night to a party but I do not know the details of that yet. However, recently he had reconnected with Penny who he had known in Santa Cruz years ago. Penny told me this wonderful story about sharing with Joseph and his brother (who was a bit apprehensive about meeting someone from his 'cult' days) and the conversation turned into one about forgiveness and about how you don't need others to get it, that you set yourself free when you let go. Penny told Joseph how nice he had been to her when she was 19 & what a wonderful person he was and he cried and hugged her and said how much that meant to him. She later gave him a reading on his birthday (December 30th) and followed up the next day & her reading was that "he was riding a wave of transformation into 2012, transforming himself" and I believe he truly did! I believe he really opened up to love.

Since Bill called me, I have been reaching out to as many people I can remember that he loved. As I hit the bed last night, your name came into mind. I called several friends in Ashland and one, Connie Saldana knew him from the radio station he worked with and was associated with. She agreed to host a party at her house on Sunday night at my suggestion. It is a very informal gathering, we'll have pizza, beer & other food and then a small sharing that we're still putting together. In one of our discussions a year or so ago, Joseph had told me that when he died, his brother would take care of his estate and that he wanted me to throw him a party so that is what I am doing. There will be lots of toasting to Joseph!

Brother Bill flies in late Saturday & will be in Ashland til Friday; he is 'devastated' and is keeping himself distracted by focusing on the details of Joseph's estate. So I've been running "point" on this one & wanted to create a gathering while Bill is here. I'm going to Ashland on Saturday and will stay til Monday.

Diana Wright Troxell

I met Joe in the summer of 1970, where he was staying with Peter before we were married. He was living in the “house up the hill”. There were many religious journeys and drunken parties. I got to appreciate Joe later when he would come almost every holiday season to celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas with our family. He was wonderful with my children and my parents loved him too. We spent many hours playing bridge. When my daughter Marina had kidney failure at age 12 Joe was our main support person. Peter gave a kidney and Joe nursed him while I took care of Marina. He was there when the kidney failed and immediately offered his. It turned out that they were a match—many blood tests later, over a period of months, until the moment when we all met at the hospital for a final game of bridge the night before the surgery. Then the doctor came in and said, sorry the final cross match is positive—no transplant….

He was in and out of our life for years, he lived in Oregon and we in Santa Cruz, but it was at least once a year. Then when my husband was very sick at the end of his life Joe came to stay and be one of the main caregivers. He slept in the living room to be near Peter so I could sleep. I remember the last time Peter was able to get out of bed it was Joe and I that helped him. He stayed thru the funeral and witnessed my complete breakdown a few days later, just being there. Comforting. We shared a cigarette and then he was back on the road again.

It was during that last visit that I asked him if maybe we could get together and he said “No, I’m too damaged” He might have been protecting my feelings as he spoke, or he believed it, but either way it was like him to take on the pain. I visited with him one or two times after I moved to Redding, and wanted him to meet my new husband, but it never happened.

Bella Frye

"yes, he who laughed best, laughs a long long time for all of us