Obituary for PJ Redbird Two Ravens
PJ Redbird Two Ravens left this world on Sunday, August 21, 2022, surrounded by his fur babies Macchiato, Nigel, Fritz, and Calliope. He was born on November 28, 1965 around 9:15 am in Dearborn, Michigan.
PJ moved to Ann Arbor in 1983. He attended the University of Michigan (U-M), as an honor student, and graduated in 1990. He worked overnights as a sleep technician at U-M for 14 years in the neurology and psychiatry departments, even during his undergraduate and graduate studies. In 1991, PJ was struck with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. He went through chemotherapy and radiation treatments, all the while still working overnights. He attended Eastern Michigan University, where he obtained a Master of Social Work in 1999. He then went on to serve as a social worker for people living with HIV/AIDS, as well as their loved ones, at U-M. PJ worked at U-M for over 30 years.
PJ volunteered with a number of community groups, such as HIV/AIDS Resource Center (HARC) (now known as Unified), the Public Interest Group of Michigan (PIRGIM), and GreenPeace. He founded the group Gender Explorers in 1995, and facilitated it until 2014. He ran Gay Lesbian Older and Wiser (GLOW) from 1998-2003 and produced their newsletter. In 2014, he joined La Fraternitié Du Loup-Garou (La Garou), and was president of the Gizhi Goomi Den at the time of his death.
PJ was an out and proud trans queer and sexual and gender outlaw all his life. He identified as a pagan hedonist and also strongly identified with his Native American heritage and traditions. He was an avid geocacher, having found 703 geocaches. PJ loved being in nature, geocaching, creating and viewing art, adventuring, theme parks, writing poetry, collecting beautiful and meaningful things, deep conversations, helping the world be a better place, chihuahuas and cats, and his chosen family and friends.
He is deeply loved by all whose lives he touched. Many people have credited him with saving their lives through his kindness, compassion, humor, advocacy, support, and grace. His light burned brightly and fiercely.
He is survived by his partner, Jay; the House of Phoenix family, including his Da, Thaniel, Unc, Lorence, and Sister, Tina; former intimate partners; a wealth of chosen family; his brother, Jeff, sister-in-law, Judee, and nephews, Joel, Corey, and Christopher; and sister-in-law, Laura. He was preceded in death by Amy Rion Chesbro, Heather MacAllister, Ruty Puls, Miles Newman, his brother, David, and the fur babies, Salvador Doggie, Zizi, Pashkawan, and Rory Mouse.
PJ's "Awake-to-life" memorial celebration will be held on Saturday, October 1, 2022 at Loon Feather Point Park, 1340 S Grove St, Ypsilanti, MI 48198. We will gather at 3pm and the ceremony will start at 3:30pm. Please RSVP to the Facebook Event here: https://fb.me/e/20w5B95hS so that we have an accurate count for seating and food.
An online memorial will take place on PJ’s birthday (November 28, 2022). Further details will be posted on PJ’s Facebook page.
In lieu of flowers and other gifts please donate to your favorite local charity that directly serves the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in PJ's honor.
PJ moved to Ann Arbor in 1983. He attended the University of Michigan (U-M), as an honor student, and graduated in 1990. He worked overnights as a sleep technician at U-M for 14 years in the neurology and psychiatry departments, even during his undergraduate and graduate studies. In 1991, PJ was struck with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. He went through chemotherapy and radiation treatments, all the while still working overnights. He attended Eastern Michigan University, where he obtained a Master of Social Work in 1999. He then went on to serve as a social worker for people living with HIV/AIDS, as well as their loved ones, at U-M. PJ worked at U-M for over 30 years.
PJ volunteered with a number of community groups, such as HIV/AIDS Resource Center (HARC) (now known as Unified), the Public Interest Group of Michigan (PIRGIM), and GreenPeace. He founded the group Gender Explorers in 1995, and facilitated it until 2014. He ran Gay Lesbian Older and Wiser (GLOW) from 1998-2003 and produced their newsletter. In 2014, he joined La Fraternitié Du Loup-Garou (La Garou), and was president of the Gizhi Goomi Den at the time of his death.
PJ was an out and proud trans queer and sexual and gender outlaw all his life. He identified as a pagan hedonist and also strongly identified with his Native American heritage and traditions. He was an avid geocacher, having found 703 geocaches. PJ loved being in nature, geocaching, creating and viewing art, adventuring, theme parks, writing poetry, collecting beautiful and meaningful things, deep conversations, helping the world be a better place, chihuahuas and cats, and his chosen family and friends.
He is deeply loved by all whose lives he touched. Many people have credited him with saving their lives through his kindness, compassion, humor, advocacy, support, and grace. His light burned brightly and fiercely.
He is survived by his partner, Jay; the House of Phoenix family, including his Da, Thaniel, Unc, Lorence, and Sister, Tina; former intimate partners; a wealth of chosen family; his brother, Jeff, sister-in-law, Judee, and nephews, Joel, Corey, and Christopher; and sister-in-law, Laura. He was preceded in death by Amy Rion Chesbro, Heather MacAllister, Ruty Puls, Miles Newman, his brother, David, and the fur babies, Salvador Doggie, Zizi, Pashkawan, and Rory Mouse.
PJ's "Awake-to-life" memorial celebration will be held on Saturday, October 1, 2022 at Loon Feather Point Park, 1340 S Grove St, Ypsilanti, MI 48198. We will gather at 3pm and the ceremony will start at 3:30pm. Please RSVP to the Facebook Event here: https://fb.me/e/20w5B95hS so that we have an accurate count for seating and food.
An online memorial will take place on PJ’s birthday (November 28, 2022). Further details will be posted on PJ’s Facebook page.
In lieu of flowers and other gifts please donate to your favorite local charity that directly serves the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in PJ's honor.