Tag: Memorial

Remembering Wes Thomsen — 2

I knew Wes Thomsen for the last 7 or 8 years of his life. His recent celebration of life gave me a small sense for the decades prior. And what a life it was!

Toward the end of the service (01:23), someone noted that Wes was a rock star. Not in the current colloquial sense — but member of a band. A soulish song, perfect for the occasion, followed.

I looked for the song on streaming services as soon as I got to my car but couldn’t find it anywhere. An old post on Pegtop led me to Matt Patrick. He graciously e-mailed the track* to me with permission to post it here.


The moon is shining on the waterline
and it makes me think of you.
Venus and Mars all the trees and the stars
make me think about you too.

A GoFundMe for Wes’s family is so close to its goal. Please give generously. ✸

* “I Believe In You” is the final track (11) on Just Us (album).

Remembering Wes Thomsen

News of Wes Thomsen’s sudden passing reached me Saturday afternoon at a wedding. I found myself struggling with the juxtaposition of beginnings and endings, joy and sadness — and, ultimately, future versus finality.

I’m going to remember Wes in innumerable ways: his ready smile; his unhurried manner; his palpable sense of contentment; his vision and creativity; his deft leadership skills; his deep desire to help those touched by addiction; his amazing portfolio of work at Hazelden Publishing (example here); and so forth.

Wes Thomsen (left) on set at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis, Minn., on August 3rd, 2021.

But I will mainly remember Wes as a friend surrounded by lights and cameras who blessed me with amazing conversations. ✸

Kate Gillette created a GoFundMe campaign to benefit Andrea and Margot. Please give generously.

P.S. A lovely memorial service occurred on October 1st. I appreciated the photographs of Wes, hearing the various recollections and tributes, and the remarkable closing song by Pegtop. A recording of the livestream captures most of this. I’m currently trying to find a stream of “I Believe in You,” a track on Just Us.