I was Brett Jewell's best Freind as teenagers. I knew his sister and family very well. I used to go Skiing with him and his family every year. At that time his mother was married to Jerry Burns, of Jerry Burn Realty. Like I said, Brett was my best freind. We first became friends when we attended Millikan Jr. High together. From that day forward you could see one of us without the other. I used to stay over his house because he had the nicer house and his family was cooler then mine. He lived on Chandler Street, in a nice 2 story, with a very nice maid named, Anna? Then 2-3 years later, as Jerry's Real Estate co. took off, moved into a beautiful Spanish home off of Magnolia and Coldwater St.
I still pass by this house occasionally, sometimes even park in front, and think back to the good old days and all the fun times we had.
I remember we used to skate board everywhere, even to the beach, which was 20 miles away. We used to be very competitive with each other. Didn't matter the sport, we would play are a**** off hoping to win. There was one sport he would school me on every time and that was skateboarding, but, with 20 foot high ramps we would ride.
I could not compete due to his Daredevil attitude. I don't think many people knew, he was a nerves of steal, Daredevil. You wouldn't even need to bet him, if he saw something Narl,
(Challenging), he would do it. Brett had balls of steal and wasn't afraid to try anything that might be life threatening to the ordinary man,like me.
I remember one day, on the end of the Santa Monica pier, looks at me and says, "hay lets jump". Once I heard him say that I knew he was gonna jump. Guess who didn't?
I looked up to him for that. I never thought of him as reckless. I thought of him as a person who tests his courage and does the things other people would try if they had his courage. Now I cant remember, but, sometime, either 18-20 years old, we didn't hang out as much as we used to. I had a girl friend, and he had all the girls. Every chick, as I can remember,
Was in love with Brett. He had this birthmark on his scalp, above his left ear, that would make the hair that grew out of that area, look blonde. ALL the chicks liked Brett.
Getting back to the story, we were off with girlfriends,I worked construction, he worded for Jerry Burns. Between girls and work, we couldn't hang out that much.
One day after not seeing him for about 4 months, calls me from home to say he was in a motorcycle accident that occurred at 7 pm,on Benedict Canyon St., in Sherman Oaks.
After his last surgery he stopped by my house with a bottle of Shnopps Alcohol.
I never saw Brett with Alcohol before?
After we talked for awhile I asked him about the bottle.
He looks at me,and tells me, that he came back from Kisser Hospital and has bad news.
He tells me that he had some tests preformed at Kisser, and was told has an infection that was accidentally transmitted though the blood transfusions he received while having surgery,from the motorcycle accident. Today it's called HIV. One of the first cases transferred though a tainted blood transfusion.
From that day forward he was, for a better word pissed and upset with the terrible cards he got dealt. I didn't hear from him or find him for many years.
Then by the grace of God I saw him in Santa Clarita, in 1996.
The next day I picked him up and we hung out in new house in Santa Clarita.
Just like old times......
I went to see him again a few times after that day but he was always under the weather.
The last time I went to see him new tenants were living there.
I had no new address and never seen him again since.
A few months ago I paid to have him located.
Now I come to the end of this story.
I didn't think it would effect as much as it does, but, with tears I am writing this.
I have to say that it was very strange, how after all those years, I was given a chance to say goodbye to my best friend, that day, at the video store, in 1996.
Goodbye friend.... You will be missed!
To his family I would like to say Thank you for always being kind to me.
To Brett's sister.. If there is a burial plot, I would like to visit.
Raymond Goad
818-470-7748
[contact link]
I still pass by this house occasionally, sometimes even park in front, and think back to the good old days and all the fun times we had.
I remember we used to skate board everywhere, even to the beach, which was 20 miles away. We used to be very competitive with each other. Didn't matter the sport, we would play are a**** off hoping to win. There was one sport he would school me on every time and that was skateboarding, but, with 20 foot high ramps we would ride.
I could not compete due to his Daredevil attitude. I don't think many people knew, he was a nerves of steal, Daredevil. You wouldn't even need to bet him, if he saw something Narl,
(Challenging), he would do it. Brett had balls of steal and wasn't afraid to try anything that might be life threatening to the ordinary man,like me.
I remember one day, on the end of the Santa Monica pier, looks at me and says, "hay lets jump". Once I heard him say that I knew he was gonna jump. Guess who didn't?
I looked up to him for that. I never thought of him as reckless. I thought of him as a person who tests his courage and does the things other people would try if they had his courage. Now I cant remember, but, sometime, either 18-20 years old, we didn't hang out as much as we used to. I had a girl friend, and he had all the girls. Every chick, as I can remember,
Was in love with Brett. He had this birthmark on his scalp, above his left ear, that would make the hair that grew out of that area, look blonde. ALL the chicks liked Brett.
Getting back to the story, we were off with girlfriends,I worked construction, he worded for Jerry Burns. Between girls and work, we couldn't hang out that much.
One day after not seeing him for about 4 months, calls me from home to say he was in a motorcycle accident that occurred at 7 pm,on Benedict Canyon St., in Sherman Oaks.
After his last surgery he stopped by my house with a bottle of Shnopps Alcohol.
I never saw Brett with Alcohol before?
After we talked for awhile I asked him about the bottle.
He looks at me,and tells me, that he came back from Kisser Hospital and has bad news.
He tells me that he had some tests preformed at Kisser, and was told has an infection that was accidentally transmitted though the blood transfusions he received while having surgery,from the motorcycle accident. Today it's called HIV. One of the first cases transferred though a tainted blood transfusion.
From that day forward he was, for a better word pissed and upset with the terrible cards he got dealt. I didn't hear from him or find him for many years.
Then by the grace of God I saw him in Santa Clarita, in 1996.
The next day I picked him up and we hung out in new house in Santa Clarita.
Just like old times......
I went to see him again a few times after that day but he was always under the weather.
The last time I went to see him new tenants were living there.
I had no new address and never seen him again since.
A few months ago I paid to have him located.
Now I come to the end of this story.
I didn't think it would effect as much as it does, but, with tears I am writing this.
I have to say that it was very strange, how after all those years, I was given a chance to say goodbye to my best friend, that day, at the video store, in 1996.
Goodbye friend.... You will be missed!
To his family I would like to say Thank you for always being kind to me.
To Brett's sister.. If there is a burial plot, I would like to visit.
Raymond Goad
818-470-7748
[contact link]
