Marlon stories under construction — the pictures came first

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Not an obituary

About
Marlon

He was a husband, a dad, a cat parent, a veteran, a left-handed bass player, a motorcycle man, a music snob, and an inappropriate joke waiting to happen.

Cat Dad

Personal space was never included in the job description.

A cat resting across Marlon’s shoulders — Management preferred hands-on supervision.

Young Marlon lying on the floor with a kitten stretched across his face while another cat watches from a chair — Personal space was never included.

Marlon sitting behind three similar-looking but distinct cats — Copy, Paste and Paste. Three different cats. Allegedly.

Marlon lying beside a gray and white cat — Same expression. Different species.

The beginning — The beginningMarlon Gorton, United States Air Force.

In uniform — In uniformBefore the bass wall and the Harley.

His service — His serviceThe patches, stripes, tags, and medals that tell part of the story.

The road — The roadMotorcycles were not a phase. They were part of him.

Marlon at the fire academy

His sense of humor — His sense of humorSubtlety was not always the goal.

The Harley — The HarleyChrome, red paint, and something worth caring for.

The music — The musicDream Theater—and many strong opinions about what everyone else should hear.

H.O.G. and the miles — H.O.G. and the milesThe places he went and the people he rode with.

The Geezer — The GeezerHis shirt said it so we don’t have to.

The Bass Player Is Always Right! — The Bass Player Is Always Right!Apparently one neck was not enough to establish his authority.

Onstage — OnstageLeft-handed, loud, and exactly where he belonged.

His wall art — His wall artTwo basses and Dream Theater. That tracks.

Still playing — Still playingThe bass was never far away.

Still Marlon — Still MarlonThe hair changed. The expression did not.

The band — The bandNot every family picture needs relatives.

Marlon and the bike — Marlon and the bikeExactly where he wanted to be.

His kind of humor

The memes explain quite a bit.

Spinal Tap amplifier controls turned up to eleven — These go to eleven.

When you die and hear the 2112 intro at your funeral meme — The Rush jokeHe loved Rush. Anne emphatically did not.

A rat in a cage holding a Despite All My Rage sign — Rage, properly containedThe Smashing Pumpkins joke was inevitable.

A clown meme explaining that clowns taste funny — Why he hated clownsA reasonable question received an unreasonable answer.

A joke about swallowing popcorn kernels before cremation — He had a cremation planI vetoed the popcorn and sent him with one of his basses instead. Whether the bass survived remains unconfirmed.

A printer surrounded by an enormous black toner spill — Technical difficultiesThe printer had one job. It took that personally.

A dark joke about the unlikely odds of two serial killers sharing one car — Road-trip safetyStatistically sound. Emotionally concerning.

Hans Gruber falling from Nakatomi Tower in a Die Hard Christmas meme — The annual Christmas argumentMarlon said it was. I said it wasn’t. Some arguments survive death—and he is still wrong.

Funeral cartoon joking that a bad turnout meant he was a bass player

Swear jars comparing ordinary swearing with correcting fire-protection mistakes on television — Watching TV with MarlonNo fictional fire-protection system survived without a full accuracy review.