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Lisa's Story
Who would have thought that training a man to be my boss would end up being one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life!? Jim Pennington, my then peer to turn boss and I were the best of friends the moment we met in 1999. We were inseparable and everyone thought we should be dating. Well, we were both gay so that wasn’t gonna happen! However, everyone kept on us and said we’d make beautiful children. That kept us laughing for years and I still laugh about it today.
Driving down the 405 South in Los Angeles on July 17, 2007 my life took a change that I had never anticipated. I was told that my Jim had hanged himself on July 14, 2007 (just 2 days after my birthday and 2 days before his partners birthday). He had erased me from his life so it took them 3 days to locate me. I immediately went to OH MY GOD how could he do this to ME??? How DARE he do this to me! I was so upset that I called his cell phone number and vented, cried, vented, cried and pleaded with him to have not done this.
While at work that day his partner Jamie called me after he heard my phone message. He told me that Jim had went down hill for a year. He had been hospitalized and they tried everything they could to save him. He was diagnosed with Bipolar and in one year, he lost his job, his house and his dignity. He was so depressed that the Jim I knew had vanished. The last picture taken of him was horrific. His eyes were dead. His sparkle was gone. I … was devastated.
Three months after learning of his death I went to my first Out of the Darkness walk in Santa Monica, CA. I met Mariette Hartley and Laura Levinsky, ever since then my life has been dedicated to Suicide Prevention and Education. I have served 1 year as Secretary on our Board and was re-elected again this year. I owe Jim a thank you for giving me the gift of this organization and my many, many friends that I’ve met. I miss him dearly but if something good had to come out of this tragedy this was it.