Dear SDS List Members, Most of you will recognize the name Jason Ross as a frequent flyer on the list. Jason or Jae was sometimes slightly inappropriate in the most delightful ways. Jae was my student in two classes in the CUNY graduate program led by our own Mariette Bates below. Jae pushed the envelope taking in all disabled people as his family of choice. They railed against diagnostic labels like "intellectual disability" as implying any difference in value, joy, or contribution. I will miss their daily check-in texts to just ask how I am or give me a tidbit from their life that day. I appreciated that connection. It did not demand too much as some may think, and like me, Jae was not a particularly private person. We clicked. I am sad but have good memories. I'm only sorry that Jae was never able to experience an in-person SDS conference. They would have loved it! In Solidarity, Devva Devva Kasnitz, PhD Devvaco Consulting,1614 D St. Eureka, CA 95501-2345 -- devva@earthlink.net Adj Professor, City University of New York-School of Professional Studies-Disability Studies She/Her/Hers . From: Mariette Bates <Mariette.Bates@cuny.edu> Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2021 10:15 AM To: sdskasnitz@gmail.com Subject: Re: Jason Ross From the Disability Studies in Education group: With a heavy heart sorry to report the sudden passing of beloved LCA family member Jae Casper (legal name Jason Ross) yesterday morning from natural causes. Jae had the heart and loving soul of an artist, and the fight of a warrior -- using their degree in Disability Studies and unstoppable creative force across genres to fight for social justice, mentor others, shatter disability myths in media and move through the pain of stigma - for them and others. In one word, Jae described their passion for working in the media as "tenacity." Jae considered Lights! Camera! Access! a "family by choice," supporting and connecting with other creative kindred spirits, networking and building creative teams. They was a proud Barbara Butz Memorial Fellowship winner, participated in local NYC in-person career exploration summits since 2016, and two national virtual summits. Jae enjoyed hiking, visits to the Bronx Zoo and started the blog DriveMomCrazy.com <http://DriveMomCrazy.com/?fbclid=IwAR2wwNCEEljVDoobsJjjisYosyLFdgO7z0jCQcRa 0xEoLkLwYY_F27c-5Nk> Funeral service for Jason Ross (Jae Casper's legal name) - Friday, May 28th at 12:30 pm ET. Cedar Park Cemetery 735 Forest Avenue Paramus, NJ 07652 To reach the funeral home, you can call: 201-262-1100 We will let you know if it will be live-streamed and when LCA and other convene online M Mariette J. Bates, Ph. D. Distinguished Lecturer and Academic Director, Disability Studies Program CUNY School of Professional Studies Leading Online Education at CUNY for 15 Years P. 646-664-8580 E. mariette.bates@cuny.edu <mailto:mariette.bates@cuny.edu> Connect with us: sps.cuny.edu <http://sps.cuny.edu> _____ From: Devva Kasnitz <sdskasnitz@gmail.com <mailto:sdskasnitz@gmail.com> > Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2021 12:59 PM To: Mariette Bates Cc: susanfitzm@gmail.com <mailto:susanfitzm@gmail.com> Subject: RE: Jason Ross I was just writing an acknowledgement to the SDS list, but Susan says that his mom has impersonated him in the past. But to send her phone number and a funeral time and place seems unlikely..... Are you sure? devva From: Mariette Bates <Mariette.Bates@cuny.edu <mailto:Mariette.Bates@cuny.edu> > Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2021 6:31 AM To: sdskasnitz@gmail.com <mailto:sdskasnitz@gmail.com> Subject: Re: Jason Ross Would you send this info to me, Devva? We'd like to do something to acknowledge him and I'd like to be in touch with his mom. Yes, he seems to have died. He had Marfan syndrome and perhaps he had an aortic dissection.... Mariette J. Bates, Ph. D. Distinguished Lecturer and Academic Director, Disability Studies Program CUNY School of Professional Studies Leading Online Education at CUNY for 15 Years P. 646-664-8580 E. mariette.bates@cuny.edu <mailto:mariette.bates@cuny.edu> Connect with us: sps.cuny.edu <http://sps.cuny.edu> _____ From: Devva Kasnitz <sdskasnitz@gmail.com <mailto:sdskasnitz@gmail.com> > Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2021 10:52 PM To: susanfitzm@gmail.com <mailto:susanfitzm@gmail.com> ; Mariette Bates Subject: Jason Ross ***ATTENTION: This email came from an external source. Do not open attachments or click on links from unknown senders or unexpected emails.*** Hi, I got a text today from Jason's phone saying that he had died suddenly this morning. The text was signed by Lois Ross with her phone number. Then a second text came with funeral information. I don't want to believe it. Any chance you know more? Hugz, devva Devva Kasnitz, PhD Devvaco Consulting,1614 D St. Eureka, CA 95501-2345 -- devva@earthlink.net <mailto:devva@earthlink.net> Spring 2020 & 2018 -- Kate Welling Distinguished Scholar in Disability Studies, Miami University, Oxford, OH Adj Professor, City University of New York-School of Professional Studies-Disability Studies Executive Director, Society for Disability Studies, PO BOX 5570, Eureka CA 95502 -- She/Her/Hers