JWs who were actually cool

Black Man

We always talk about the crazy J-dub fundy types, but I knew some cool JWs (co, do, bethelites, pio) during my time. This is kind of a "where are they now" post along with acknowledginig some JWs who were cool and down-to-earth. As with most "cool" and good people in the BORG, most of them are either not JWs anymore (burned out) or are not "serving" in responsible positions (funny how that works, isn't it). Anyway, my list is:

Daniel Silva: DO who served in the Michigan area in the early 80s. Forward-thinking DO who actually knew Greek. Would make a great poster here on JWD. Gave some of most thought-provoking talks and treated people with dignity. Heard he left the DO work and barely attends meetings.

R.L. Jones: CO who served in Chicago, D.C., Michigan areas. Still in the work as far as I know. One "cool" cat. The first CO I ever saw to wear Armani suits. Always looked to pick you up and make you feel good about whatever effort you were putting forth. Once said that he could have been a DO had he kissed more "butt," but he couldn't stand to do that and a CO he continued to be.

Lyron Andrews: African American Bethelite who was somewhat prominent when he was there. Just a down-to-earth brother who always tried to uplift and encourage you when he sensed you were down. I recall him working with the Executive Office. Really injected a sense of humanity into the de-humanizing bethel experience. He eventually left the house and served in a NYC hall, before DA-ing himself.

Lenore Brown: DO who served all over - California, Michigan, Georgia. Really was attentive to youth. The first DO I observed to play pick-up basketball games with the brothers. Was comparitively young as a DO. Eventually got D-fed and settled into selling real estate in Georgia. Feel free to add on to this. It could be ANY JW you knew when you were trapped in the Matrix. I'll come back to this later...........

Frank DeMatteis: Long-serving bethelite elder who always had a kind word to say or a funny joke to tell to break up the monotony and the mood. Served at the farm and ended up getting d-fed. Heard he recently came back in.

doofdaddy

The only cool ones I remember are the ones who didn't fit the mold.

A guy called Ian S. was so cool. Tall, early middleaged, always in wrap around sun glasses with this dead pan look on his face. He was the most relaxed surfer in heavy waves. He never talked about his previous life unless pushed. Always cool stories.

The young wayward (and quite a few straight) sisters would melt in his presence as punk was over and cool was in.

He had a wife and 3 kids who he worked hard for until he just saw thru the jw thing and that was it. He couldn't live a lie once he woke up. His wife who he married when he became a jw hassled and rode him into the ground but he never complained.

Once the kids were older, he just sold his house, gave most to his wife, just taking enough to buy a small yacht. Never sailed before but slowly, slowly taught himself. Got a woman with similar tastes and sailed off.........

Now that's cool

upside/down

Dennis Turnbull....Omaha NE

Bill & Jerry Gillis.... Bethel

Beau Brown....Orange CA

Joe Mohana....Omaha NE (deceased)

John Snook....Aliso Viejo CA

Me....

u/d

tetrapod.sapien

Bryce Krynski

Joel Vermuelen

both trapped in the matrix. both posses the mental chutzpah to battle the viral agents.

jgnat

Henk in Victoria? Sorry, lost his last name. He was converted while he was up in the Yukon.

misspeaches

There was this one brother and his family I remember from years ago. At a convention the family gave their experience especially the father of who they had managed to be loyal good dubbies whilst suffering EXTREME illness. Later I met some members of this family. That father was a VERY good man. He had involvement with the big wigs and yet put it all behind him when he left the borg. He and his wife really stand out in my mind.

fleaman uk

Doofdaddy

That was one COOL chappie!

Michael Eagen,a Co from my Youth..lovely chap,had plenty of time for ordinary folk..and seemed to get annoyed at the presence of Elders.

thom

Lyn Newton - Elder in Phoenix, AZ He always had his own opinion about how things should be, was very daring when it came to the internet (JW related stuff) and didn't care what anyone thought about it. Could hold conversations about just about anything and he had a viewpoint, he liked to talk. He's no longer an elder and has alot to say about how the org operates. His wife is "odd" but they make it work. His son and I didn't see eye to eye. He was the perfect JW kid. Now I think he's in the military and I know he's df'd.

Tom Reid - ELder in Phoenix, AZ always nice and supportive to me, known him since I was a kid. I worked with him for a few years and we traveled together. He could hold his beer, and told good hunting and Navy stories. He was alot of fun to be around. Also, he was good at looking the other way. He's no longer an elder and barely makes meetings as he's pretty upset about how some brothers treated him.

anewme

Lots of people back in the 70's were very cool.....real individuals...the ones who made the Watchtower meetings so interesting with their stories......all gone now. Incidently they dont allow you to embellish a comment with a personal touch anymore....just parrot the paragraph you read a minute before! Boring idiocy.

cruzanheart

I think one reason I stayed in for so long was because I did know so many cool JWs: in St. Croix there is Cedric T., a gentle and kind man who is still there and hasn't changed a bit over the years; in Puerto Rico the Branch Overseer Ronald P., who always had time to talk to the children and make us laugh; in England there is Jessica H., who is in her 80's and still travels the world like a teenager, stresses about us and her son not going to meetings but wouldn't shun us for the world; in Arlington, Texas there are Larry & Charly W., a truly kind and compassionate and FUN couple; and in Carrollton, Texas our [still in spite of the past few years] best friends, Gary & Lydia T., an elder and his wife who once upon a time, with us, departed the meeting in an ungodly hurry in order to be first in line to catch the opening of "Batman" (the first one, with Michael Keaton) and who still are our movie buddies for every Star Wars and Batman and Star Trek and Shrek movies.

These are people who do not follow the Borg for their own interests or by rote but because they really believe they are serving God properly.

Nina

JWs who were actually cool

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