In memory of Gavin Boston

(Updated Jan 27, 2023 @ 1:41pm PST)

UPDATE: 

On Tuesday January 31st from 6:30-7:30, there will be a vigil held at the Peace Plaza at the base of the Peace Pagoda in JapanTown.

Community leaders of JapanTown and neighboring Western Addition will be there to speak. Local clergy members will give vilgil prayers and words of comfort. Gavins sister Carla Seawright and brother Jon Boston will also be speaking to honor Gavin. 

Friends, family and members of the community are invited to come and pay respect for Gavin.

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Original:

We want to give Gavin Boston (February 7, 1982 - January 4, 2023) the memorial he deserves, honor his memory, and say our last goodbyes.

Gavin was a peaceful guy who was working security while writing his 3rd book. We never thought of Gavin as a "security guard type" but rather as a peacemaker and this was the attribute he used to do his job. In this case, it ended in a horrific tragedy when Gavin was shot while working in Japantown, San Francisco.

He was well-liked by the business owners in the building even though he had only worked there for 2 months. We love Gavin and he has many friends that also love him. Gavin was only 40 years old, far too young, and will be missed with an indescribable longing that cannot be put into words.

As this difficult process moves forward, we will update this page with news and a link to Gavin's obituary. Our family will be holding a private ceremony and please respectfully request the time and space to grieve.

Fundraising Update:

We are close to 3/4s our fundraising costs which has helped cover Gavin’s funeral and family travel expenses and will be helping mitigate the expenses of representing Gavin’s memory and case through the justice system. We have already needed to attend several days in court.

We continue to fundraise to cover expenses with the legal process. Any amount is appreciated no matter how small. We have a P.O. box for those in the community of Japantown and others who wish to utilize the postal system to pay respect with donations or cards.

If we meet our goal of $40,000, any surplus donations will be given in Gavin’s name to a non-profit that helps at-risk children and youth, including outpatient behavioral/mental health support and case management services. At this time, we are considering reaching out to a SF local non-profit, the Felton Institute, which has been serving SF for 130 years. 

Please share this fundraiser with any interested parties. Spread the news. Any amount helps and is appreciated. We simply want to be sure Gavin and what was important to him is represented in court.

Thank you for everything you all have done in Gavin's memory.