Jocelyn Gibson's Funeral & Memorial

Dear Friends, thank you all so much for your kind sympathies. As many of you may have seen yesterday, a friend of mine named Jocelyn Gibson died in a tragic accident involving a city bus in Columbus, Ohio on Friday, May 13, 2016.  Jocelyn had been attending a symposium at Ohio State University, and was on her way to a post-symposium meet-and-greet when in a haste to catch the bus, she tripped and fell into the street and the bus pinned her against the curb and crushed her to death.  

Jocelyn was unemployed and had been struggling with depression.  Her mother died several years ago and she was estranged from the rest of her family.  She lived alone, had no money and no car, and felt very despondent and worthless.  It pains me to type these words because she had no idea how many people really cared for her.  

The symposium and her friends in attendance were a lifeline for her.  So much so that in her desperation to not miss the bus, she made a fatal mistake.  She died seeking the comfort and affirmation of friends that she so desperately craved.

Because she had no remaining family with whom she was in contact, she named me the executor of her will.  Her greatest wish was that she could be buried next to her mother's grave in Nevada, Missouri.  She spoke over and over again about how much she loved her mom and missed her, and couldn't wait to be with her again. Before Jocelyn died, she had placed a deposit on a gravesite next to her mother's.  However, she still had an unknown balance remaining.

I am in a bind and am wondering if anyone can help. My name is George Byrd and I am a close friend of Jocelyn Gibson's.  My wish is to make sure she has a proper burial with casket and headstone next to her mother, which was her greatest wish.  It would mean very much to me if I could make this happen.  

I have chosen a goal of $7,000 because that is the average price for a funeral in the United States according to Parting.com.  I will need to pay for the cost of transporting her body from Ohio to Missouri, the casket, the remainder of the gravesite, a headstone, and a memorial service.  

Any funds that are left over after paying for her funeral expenses will be donated to TransOhio, an advocacy organisation for Transgender people that was very important to Jocelyn.  She did much volunteer work for TransOhio, and I know she would want to help continue their work through her legacy.

Thank you all so much for your generous and kind support.  I hope she knows now how many people truly cared about her and that she will now rest in happiness forever with her mother, and that she has truly been released from her pain.

Please, make sure to tell the people you love that you love them. You never know when your time or their time will come unexpectedly.  I love you all.