Obituary of Jeff Pajonk

Jeff Pajonk died December 13, 2017. He was 70 years old. Jeff was born in Northampton, MA in 1947. Two years later he stole a tricycle and headed out of town. From the outset he was rebellious and curious. His parents were working folks. Simple, good people. Neither finished 9th grade. He was a challenging child to raise, undergoing years of testing. The results were summed up best by a middle school teacher who informed Jeff that with his many disciplinary incidents and an IQ of 152 he qualified for the finest reform schools in the country. Jeff fulfilled his rebel potential. He was wanted by the FBI, attracted the interest of law enforcement throughout New England, rode and crashed Triumphs, lived with desperados and dabbled in the drug culture, most starkly evinced by his voting twice for Reagan. But he was much more than a reform school aspirant and outlaw. Jeff performed at Smith College, played classical guitar, helped people earn GEDs, got a black belt in karate, taught self-defense courses at nonprofits and was the director of a mental health hospital. I met Jeff while hitchhiking in 1973. He picked me up in a 1952 Chevy named Janis. The connection was immediate and lasting. For over 44 years we endured cross-country moves, friends and foes, college, jobs and life's ups and downs. Our life together was seldom boring and far too short. Jeff was cremated. There will be no service.