Obituary of "J.J." Gerald Thomas Billing

J.J. Billing was, is, and always will be our friend, our family member, and an epic part of our lives. J.J., otherwise knows as "Gerald Billing", "Jerry Junior", or "Spray-J", lives on in the spirit of his two children, the love of his wife, and the stories and memories of his friends and family. His life was shorter than we wanted it to be, but it was a life well lived, filled with adventure, excitement, and genuine happiness. No amount of words can do justice to J.J. There was too much goodness in him; too much love; too many memories; too much living. In writing about him, J.J. would tell us to not stress over it,, and to not go through too much trouble over him. But J.J. is worth the trouble, because he was someone special, someone brave, someone full of light, and someone truly inspirational. J.J. had a lot to live for. If you asked him how he felt to be a father, he would answer in words; but you could tell from the look on his face that words could never fully capture how much Annabelle and his second unborn child truly meant to him. Look at any picture of him on his wedding day and you'll see a man filled with complete and quiet fulfillment. Look at any picture of him on his bachelor party and you'll see...well...it's probably better that no pictures were taken. J.J. was a man of conviction, who always did right by people, who always put his friends' and family members' needs above his own. J.J. quietly worked to better himself, never bragging about his accomplishments. He got to be an extremely talented musician. He was a founding member of the band Ravenshade, and J.J. remained an active member of the band until the very end. J.J. got to go to school and become a professional chef...shortly after which he not only worked hard to forge a promising career, but of course became the go-to provider for all major family meals. J.J. got to travel, and over the last few years of his life he could be spotted in Newfoundland, Paraguay, the Great Wolf Lodge, and various tropical cruises. J.J. loved to laugh, he wasn't afraid to be silly, and he knew how to have a good time. Any road trip or cottage weekend was better with him involved. He was the best husband, father, brother, son, and friend that anybody could ask for. He was happy, and he made others happy too. His was a life well lived and he will never be fully gone. And we will honor him by living our lives to the fullest, by supporting each other, and by doing great things for ourselves and for others in his name. We will remember the lesson that he always tried to teach us: that "everything will be alright". As J.J. was not the kind of man to focus on the negative, we will forego a funeral and instead pay tribute to J.J.'s life through glorious celebration. J.J. deserves nothing less. So that his beautiful new baby will be able to be in attendance, the celebration of J.J.'s life will be held on June 26th from 1pm to 4pm at the Victoria Park East Golf Course in Guelph. The address is 1096 Victoria Rd. South, Guelph, ON N1L 1C6 and anybody who is reading this is invited to attend. J.J. would want us to eat good food, drink good beer, and tell good stories, and in true J.J. fashion, we will have a blast. Superhero attire (of any kind) is encouraged. A Memorial Fund has been set up in support of J.J. & Heather's daughter Annabelle and future child and we encourage you to make a donation via EFT (electronic funds transfer) made in the following manner: Funds sent via email to: heathersfamilyfund@gmail.com. Please ensure that when sending, you create a secret question of: What is Heather's Daughter's Name? and that the corresponding answer be: Annabelle. We invite you to share your favourite memories, photos and stories of J.J. here on his memorial webpage. Your participation in building his memory is greatly appreciated. Uniquely entrusted to eco Cremation & Burial Services Inc. Life Celebrations. Done Differently.