I just came across Jordan's obituary by chance. What a sad, sad loss. I knew Jordan in junior high school and in high school, and never have I known a person with a better disposition. He was warm, smart, encouraging, and had a great sense of humor. Jordan was one of those few you meet in life that make you look forward meeting every new day. RIP, friend.

Oh, Jordan, I'm so sorry that we couldn't get your health problems fixed up in time to get you well. You were a GREAT brother, and I will miss you every single day. I can't believe that we got so close to a liver transplant for you, and then they said the donor liver wasn't a good fit for you, and that was the only chance you had at it before things went further downhill. I worked so hard to get all the paperwork and other things in order for them to put you on the transplant list, and we DID get it speeded along faster that it normally goes, but it still wasn't good enough. And I am broken about that. The only thing I can do in your honor is to try to get money raised to fund better research into the two health conditions that caused you trouble--Hashimoto's thyroid (low thyroid) and liver disease. I believe the lack of good detection and need for better treatments of thyroid problems is what started this off, and made it too hard on your liver to function right--because you never drank alcohol or anything to have a bad liver. But thyroid hormone affects how all your cells work, and I wish we'd been able to formally catch the low thyroid problem years before (because you had symptoms.) And then maybe your liver wouldn't have been so stressed-out. Like I am, now. I will do my best to see that this sort of thing doesn't happen to others....and if one does have a bad liver, the treatments for that can be real hard on a patient, too. And as you would say, "That's not acceptable." So I will have to try to do what I can to make it better for both liver and thyroid patients. Thank you for being a caring, warm, fun, and very kind person and brother to me. And a great son to our Mom, when she was still here. I had better words written on here, earlier, but you know me--I pushed the wrong button on the computer here and POOF! Away it disappeared. I can hear you now having a laugh about that--but not in a mean way, because that wasn't you. Your kindness, sense of fun, warmth, and caring nature made you the great Special Ed. teacher you were for many years, even though circumstances didn't allow you to get your full teaching credential. You put some of those fully-credentialed teachers to shame with how good you were with students that most would forget about or throw away. You made their lives better, and I know they and their parents really appreciated it. And when you next went on to become a Movie Checker, gathering data for movie theaters and studios, you also spread your joy and enthusiasm to all you came across--and your love for entertainment and life always shined through. You are irreplaceable, Jordan, and I wish you were here right now. You were the kind of person who would ask, "How're you doing?" but you really meant it and cared what the answer was, unlike most people. You taught a feminine little sister about all kinds of things I wouldn't have learned about, without you--wrestling (starting at age 5, for me--go Tolos and Blassie!), funny movies, TV shows, cartoons, and books, having a sense of humor about most anything, and how it can really help you through the day, technology things that I wouldn't know or care about otherwise, how to get freebies and work those coupons like nobody's business, all kinds of Sports and Super Bowls, and the list goes on and on. You helped me with my homework, you helped me with so many things, and you've tried to help me with my own thyroid struggles throughout the years (and our Mom's), and I still struggle with it, today. But you always tried to make things better, as best you could. And I appreciated it. I think you know that I did, but I'm saying it here, anyway. I'm glad you're Up There with Mom to look after you, and all the other good relatives that are up there, too. But I still wish you were down here, with me. I guess that wasn't my call, though. Wish it was like the golf you loved to watch and play, and we could get a Mulligan on all this (a do-over.) All I can do is try to honor you the best I can by following your example, by being good and kind to people, having a sense of humor, caring about others, and trying to do good in the world. I will think of you when I am trying to do these things, and when I try to get things fixed better for those who have liver and thyroid disease. Please watch over me when you can from above....I will need all the help I can get, especially from you and Mom and anyone else up there who cares. I will love and miss you always, and again, I'm so sorry I couldn't have done more to try to get you well. It was a very hard situation, but I really will try to make it better for others facing the same sort of thing. Hoping to make you proud.....your sister, Starr Da Mauer

Jordan's college graduation photo from Cal State Fullerton--our mom and Jordan graduated from there, the same year, with B.A.'s in Sociology. It was quite a triumph for our family, as our dad (Jordan's and mine) died when we were little, and our mom was left a widow with two small kids. It was her dream to finish college, and to get Jordan a degree, too. They both liked helping people, so they both ended up getting Sociology degrees, and finished at the same time. It was awesome!