"Jayson was a beautiful soul. Oh, he had a crusty exterior, but he had a heart of gold. He was one of my dearest friends in high school and got me thru a really tough time in life. His passion for war gaming and history were evident even then. We had many memories but they only made sense to us, so I wont share them here. RIP my dear friend, you are missed. "
In loving memory of
Jayson Ernest Abbott
May 18, 1960 - August 23, 2012
VERONA - Jayson Abbott, f/k/a Jay Gralewicz, age 52, died on August 23, 2012 at Agrace Hospice following a lengthy battle with cancer. He was born May 18, 1960 to the late Edward Gralewicz and Anne (Moyat) Gralewicz. Jayson earned a degree in history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and had a deep passion for history his whole life. He was an avid wargamer and roleplayer who was active in bringing live roleplaying to the Milwaukee area. He was known for his wit, his love of naval history, and his devotion to his very large dogs, who were almost exclusively Great Pyrenees.
Jayson is survived by his beloved dog, Arctic, his former wife, Joan Abbott, his brother, Thomas Gralewicz, his uncle, Bob Moyat, and many devoted friends. A celebration of his life and reception will be held on Saturday, October 13, at 4 pm at the John Wall Pavilion in Tenney Park, Madison, Wisconsin. Donations in his memory may be made to the Iowa County Humane Society.
Please share your memories at http://www.informedchoicefunerals.com.
Tributes
"I am sad to hear of Jayson's death, as are many others who knew him.
I knew Jayson from his walks at the Verona Dog Park with his dog Arctic. Jayson took a liking to my dog, Einstein, a Old English Sheepdog, who initially was a bit intimidated by his presence. But Einsteim warmed up to Jayson in short time, and the two greated each other regularly at the dog park :)
Having myself been out of work for a period of time, I was distraught knowing that Jayson was unemployed and during that ime found that his cancer had reappeared. He and I talked about the lack of State and Federal healthcare for citizens who are in essential need of it. His COBRA was to run out in January 2012 and he wasn't sure what would lie ahead for him in his final days. I forwarded him information for a cancer evaluation center called Rational Therapeutics in Long Beach, CA, which cultures one's own cancer cells and then tests them against a number of different chemotherapeutic agents to see which is the most effective in killing the cells. That drug is then administered to the patient in hope sof giving them their best chance of survival. Unfortunately, Jayson could not afford the cost of travel and treatment at Rational Therapeutics. I am glad to know that he was able to have hospice at Agrace, a very wonderful facility for end of life.
I am ashamed that we live in a country that allows a person's home to be foreclosed upon when they have a terminal disease. I am also ashamed that our State and Federal system lacks the means to provide adequate healthcare to all of it's citizens. If Jayson had survived, I'm confident that he would have gone on to fight these battles. I pray for him and hope he is in a better place, and pray that we as a nation come to grips with the reality that we all age, we all will have a terminal disease or condition, and we all deserve the best life, healthcare, and end of life during our time on this planet."