Adios Gene "Cri-Cri" Lysaker

I was just informed that our dear friend Gene Lysaker passed away last week. Here is a link to his obituary:

http://www.grandrapidsmn.com/obituaries/article_8ba9418a-9acc-11e1-b45c-0019bb2963f4.html

Lupita and I loved Gene dearly. He entrusted us with his treasure of Zihuatanejo images, which Lupita has taken excellent care of and has offered for several public showings with many more to come.

Several months ago I received my last communication from him when he informed me that it would probably be the last time I heard from his since he was losing the ability to communicate.

Cri-Cri will always remain in our hearts in a big way. His love for Zihuatanejo shows in his work and his photos and continues to inspire others to seek and to cherish the beauty he saw in the local people and their culture as well as the local environment. Without ever really meaning to he made big a difference in Zihuatanejo.

¡Adios, querido amigo! Que en paz descanses.

Though I've only been able to know Cri Cri from afar -- through his comments and those of others here -- I've admired the way he embraced Zihua and her people. Sounds like his spirit will endure there for a very long time. RIP

--
http://www.OneMansWonder.com

His photos are a great legacy for all of us that Zihuatanejo.

--
Harriet
http://www.viewcondozihua.com/

Perhaps they are not stars,
but rather openings in heaven
where the love of our lost ones pours through
and shines down upon us
to let us know they are happy.

Alaska & Zihuatanejo mourns & celebrates one of the great ones

Although I never I had the pleasure to meet Mr. Lysaker.

I met Cri-Cri's beautiful spirit through this Board.

His stories, photos and posts will forever embody the spirit of Zihuatanejo and this Board.

Rest in Peace Hermano and thank you for sharing your Spirit.

I feel very sad that an era of wonderful innocence has passed with Cri Cri... He saw Mexico through eyes that were connected to a beautiful soul, and he transfered those feelings to all of us through his paintings and his words. I will miss knowing he is there... but maybe he is.. RIP Eugene Lysaker!

We all die. The goal isn't to live forever. The goal is to create something that will.
--Chuck Palahniuk

RIP Cri Cri

He may be gone but his heart and soul will forever be here in Zihuatanejo!! Rob has been so worried now for several months because he had not heard from Cri-Cri, and he had no way of checking to see how he was, which added to the worry. He was one of the most devoted fans of a truly wonderful man who made an impression on EVERYONE he met, but also a big impression on Rob.

Truly a man who set an example of how to live and learn from another culture with pure love in his heart!!!

Everyone will miss Cri-Cri!! Today is his funeral!! Que descanse en paz!

--
Judith Whitehead
Paradise Properties
Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa, Troncones and Playa Blanca

Those of us who met him were blessed to have done so. He will forever remain a force here in Zihua for all the people he touched and memories he left in his photos. Adios, "Cri-Cri".

I didn't have the pleasure of meeting him but I admired his work and wrote to him to tell him so. As it developed, we wrote several times. We exchanged thought about art, his body of work, Minnesota, Zihuatanejo and getting older. He was lovely and gracious in his correspondence with me and I will always remember that.

Bless his heart.

A beautiful man in spirit, who transferred that beauty to his Art and craft. His work was so very special and for those who aren't familiar with it, I encourage you to seek it out. Gene lives on in many ways through his photos, drawings & paintings.....A Love Supreme !

In early 2008 Cri-Cri and I exchanged a number of emails. He was not sure how to post his pictures here, and asked me if I would do that for him, which I did. Here are a couple of the emails he sent me. Peace to you, Gene.

Craig

Feb 20, 2008

Craig;

I have been observing your posts on Rob's Board for some time now. Just
saw your post today Great!. you are very generous to share your web stories an.d photos. I first visited Zihuatanejo back in 1951, Had been in the south Pacific, back after WWll. Zihuatanejo reminded me of the villages of Mindoro in the Philippines, I liked the Island, and people from the start. We had a
Air Force base (I flew on a B -24 ) near the town of San Jose. Zihuatanejo
reminded me of that little village on Mindoro. I have taken pictures of the people and places around Z. I started out in black & white with a Minolta Autocord. Many of my black & white prints are gone, and my color slides are faded , but I still have some left. Seeing your interest in the History of Zihuatanejo , and it's people. I wanted to find out if you would be interested in some of my pictures. Besides the prints I also have photos of my paintings. I can send a few at a time, over the internet. I too am interested in the history of Zihuatanejo, and would like to give you
these photos. and help continue the story of such an interesting town.

Gene

Back in the mid 70's I had cataracts removed. After that I gradually started loosing my sight. I Went to an eye specialist and was diagnosed as having macular degeneration. My retinas were hemorrhaging. Operations I had to go through included 4 laser operations . I lost my drivers license. Thus started what, I thought, would be the darkest period of my life. I was legally blind. I could no longer paint. I started , thanks to Photoshop, trying to find and develop s way to do my art on the computer. I learned much about the art programs on the computer. I could see along with my glasses, to do different things. The picture of the kids fishing was one of my "blind" paintings. It isn't a paint though. It was done from a print that I made changes to in the composition. On this picture I moved the kids around. Then I made the background simpler and many other things. The operations and regulating my diabetes has brought back my eyesight to a point where I can see to paint again. The computer gave me a chance to do things I would never have
done otherwise including a few others of children (some of my favorites} which I wouldnever have done. I would not call them paintings. Computer paintings would be better.

I also corresponded with Gene, looks like there were a lot of us. What always struck me was how generous and open he was, talking to me, a total stranger.

Sad that he passed. I had emailed him regarding writing a story of his life and had hoped to see him this summer.I would think a book containing a compilation of his photos and paintings would be wonderful.