41. Karmal Dye with Tigger, dog of recently deceased son, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

Karmal Dye with Tigger, dog of recently deceased son, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

1998

Archival inkjet print

11 x 14 in.


Tigger was owned by Karmal’s son, Jeff, a carpenter and musician. Jeff, having ongoing problems with drugs and alcohol, for a new start in life, moved from the Akron area to Orlando, Florida where his sister Michelle lived. Supportive of her older brother, Michelle helped him with lodging and bought him new tools so that he could work. Yet he continued to have substance abuse problems. Overcome by depression, Jeff shot himself in a nice public park. For Michelle, this had been a special place of peace and centering in which she loved to walk her dog in the mornings. Following her son’s suicide, Karmal took ownership of the dog. Jeff’s ashes are buried in a cemetery in Cuyahoga Falls. The ashes of Tigger, who has since died, are buried with Jeff.