This memorial website was created in memory of our loved one, Justin Zurlo, 43, born on April 19, 1971 and passed away on March 29, 2015.
Justin had a great sense of humor. He savored the outdoors and seasons, and loved living in the country. He enjoyed camping and was prepared for any obstacle. He was always willing to give a helping hand to others and had a voracious appetite for knowledge.
Justin loved to draw plans for small houses, especially tiny houses. He had many books showing different styles of tiny homes and was always coming up with new ideas to incorporate into his "dream home". He was especially interested in 400 square foot homes or less. He was a great craftsman, and could build just about anything. He had a passion for coming up with different ideas to build things with components that were not usually used for that purpose, especially if they had a dual purpose.
Justin had a great gift for style and decorating. He was the one to ask if you needed help. He really enjoyed finding bargains...and could he bargain shop! He loved going to Tuesday Morning, Home Goods and thrift shops. Justin was quite the saver and he made it his mission to get a deal on every purchase he made. He would spend hours on Amazon hunting down bargains for the things that he needed.
Justin loved to cook. He wanted to write a cookbook on cheap meals from around the country. He always said that he had a poor man's appetite. He would find something that he liked to eat, and find a cheaper, better way to prepare it.
Justin loved his dog Anna. They were inseparable. Justin loved his family and was thankful for the time that he spent with us.
Justin will remain in our hearts forever. He will be dearly missed.
Tributes
Leave a tributeWell, six years have passed and I still miss you so very much. I miss our shopping excursions, bantering back and forth about politics, talking about a new way that you found to make a special dish and especially our heart to heart talks. I know you are watching over all of us, but I so wish that you were still here on earth. I miss you so very, very much. I love you.
I will always cherish the times we spent together from the icy ride to New York when you wrecked my car from the little antiques shops near the canadian border.
I speak of you often and your warm kind spirit
I may have not known you very long but our souls met long ago.
You are always in our hearts.
I am so sorry that you were in that dark place and felt you couldn't reach out to me. I was there for you before and I would have been there for you again. I am so sorry that you were taken advantage of. I would have been there for you as always. There is a big hole in my heart...that special place that you could only occupy. I miss you and love you so very much.
I think about you often and I hope you are at peace. I miss you so very much! Till we meet again my friend.
Leave a Tribute
Happy Birthday!
Cabin
Justin is the only person I shared my personal retreat with. I used to go to a friend's cabin in Soquel, near Bass Lake, CA. It had gas lamps, and no running water. You had to bucket flush the toilet. It was rustic and isolated, with a swing on the big front porch, and I loved to go there solo even though it was a little bit spooky to be on my own down a dirt road in the middle of the forest. I knew Justin would love it like I did.
So Justin came out with me one time and immediately started telling me how it looked like a setting for Friday the Thirteenth. I told him to "shut it!" as I didn't want to be scared out there! We had a great time that night sitting in front of the fireplace after making a great dinner, just talking about everything and nothing, the way we did. Then, there was a sudden scurrying and scratching noise above us! We had a good scare and a laugh, and figured out a squirrel had made it into the ceiling. That squirrel startled and woke us all night long, and I blamed it on Justin for talking about spooky things.
I wish we'd had more adventures together. We always talked about living closer because we really loved each other's company. We were family through marriage, but even more so, family by choice. In fact, Justin was my uncle's wife's brother. We figured this maade us related "somehow" but could never really figure out what he would be to me. Uncle? Cousin? Cuzuncle I suggested? He decided to be my "Carbuncle" and we always laughed at our silliness. I love you. I miss you. I keep coming across things I want to share with you... Did you hear today? Same sex marriage is legal across the nation. Pretty cool. Cheers, my dear.
Loved to Dress UP
Justin always loved to dress up when he was a little boy. I remember so many of the things that he used to put on. One time, when us kids decided to have a penny arcade in our backyard, we dressed Justin up as a woman clown with balloons as boobs. He loved it! He would dress up as a pirate, a scholar, and a cowboy. Every week, he would walk in the livingroom with a new get up on. He would take things from our parents closet along with things that us kids had. He was always such a hoot!