[Photo courtesy of John Caldwell]
Jim Hayes (aka Cowboy Jim) passed away on Jan. 2. He had been suffering from emphysema.
Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of biographical information at the moment.
Hayes had been a fixture off and on in the East Village since 1968. He could usually be found drinking coffee outside Porto Rico Importing Co. on St. Mark's Place and on a bench near the Hare Krishna tree in Tompkins Square Park.
There is now a makeshift memorial for him on the side of the shuttered Chase branch on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place ... next to Porto Rico.
Thanks to EVG contributor Steven for the photos and information...
4 comments:
Jim was a really sweet guy. He'll be missed.
There are a couple of guys who you see in the park and elsewhere in the neighborhood who look very similar to this guy.
Cowboy Jim had lived in the Lower East Side for decades. His immense kindness, deep wisdom, and open spirit had made the neighborhood a better place. His life was centered around his beloved Tompkins Square Park. Sad that the emphysema caught up with him before he could enjoy a home again. When gentrification pushed him to reside across the river, he walked regularly back to hang out in this community where he felt to belong. Since he got displaced again in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, he stayed in a shelter on the Bowery, hardly bearing the rough conditions. Despite all adversity, he spread love and compassion. May his spirit live on.
I remember him from the 1990s though I never knew him. I would often see him walking his pit bulls up and down Ave A back when the neighborhood was full of culture. (The one named Tarzan once stole a bite of my sandwich.)He always seemed like a good guy, and I am sorry to hear the news.
Post a Comment