Special Thanks

Our family would like to take this time to thank each and every one of you for your support during this difficult time.  We are grateful for family and friends like you during our time of sorrow.  For those of you who sent flowers to us during our grievance, they brought such beauty and light into our home. We know that JL would have loved them and would have been extremely touched and honored.

For those who donated cash either via our GoFundMe page or privately, your thoughtfulness and generosity were much appreciated by our entire family.  The money was well used in helping fund the final payment of the funeral and burial costs.

For the meals we received, whether they were homemade or meals that were delivered to us, we thank you!  It was wonderful to be able to have one less meal to worry about cooking during this busy and difficult time.

A very special thanks to the following people who helped take on extra responsibilities that helped make a difference.  We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your time and efforts.  We could not have done it without you all.  We would like to take the time to acknowledge those.

  • Deacon Tim Roberto - Deacon/Funeral Celebrant

  • Tim Hennessy - Compilation of Reflection Videos

  • Dee Francisco - Arrangement of Deacon Tim Roberto

  • John Francisco - Filming of funeral & burial service

  • Jenn Lanza - GoFundMe Organizer

  • The Gutierrez Family - Unconditional love and support the past 20 years

  • John Dutra - Longtime family friend, supporter, and mentor

  • Lisa Stambaugh - Website Design

  • Honor Guards - Military Funeral Honors: The Sounding of Taps and Folding & Presentation of the American flag.

  • Pallbearers:  Roberto Gutierrez, Tim Hennessy, Shawn Arroyo, Ron Cox, Raul Gutierrez, and Ed Morales. To these fine men, please accept our warmest thanks from our entire family for escorting JL to his final resting place.

We would also like to take this time to thank all of you that were not only there for our family after the passing of JL but to all of you that were there for him and us during his entire sickness. For the phone calls and text messages just to check in and see how everyone was doing, we thank you.  We thank you for recognizing it is not just the death that hurts, but it is the entire process during the illness. Your ability to take 5 minutes out of your day to see if we were doing ok or if we needed anything will be something we will never forget and we will hold near and dear to our hearts for the rest of our lives.

With Love & Thanks,

The Tompkins and Gutierrez Families

"Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes. Because for those who love with heart and soul, there is no such thing as separation." - Rumi, Sufi Mystic & Poet