A Remembrance of Michael Dowd Celebrating Nature (photos by Connie Barlow)
Michael Dowd and his wife, Connie Barlow, lived on the road from April 2002 to September 2020. Their itinerant ministry was ended by the covid lockdowns, and they retired to Michigan, where both had family members (including a new grandchild). Michael died suddenly on 7 October 2023 of a massive heart attack — a shock to all friends, colleagues, and family. He was just shy of his 65th birthday. To honor his legacy, Connie assembled these photos on December 3 into a graceful video format.
Instantly after his death, five colleagues stepped forward to keep the Postdoom.com website going — which Michael initiated just before covid put an end to his travels. In just 2 months the team has vastly improved the website, and included a “Tributes” tab for honoring Michael.
Enjoy the viewing with a personal music selection. Or just listen deeply to the silence.
On October 12 that team held a zoom celebration of Michael’s life. Connie prepared and posted onto youtube a 5-minute tribute to Michael that featured the chronological sequence of Michael with his colleagues (with a few photos of significant family events). You can watch that video here: Tribute to Michael Dowd (1958 – 2023) And know that I (Connie Barlow) am very grateful to read the comments on this video. I knew that Michael, a.k.a. Post-doom Pastor, had a big impact in the world. But reading below the personal testimonials brings a smile to my face. Thank you. Know that Michael’s and my massive website, The Great Story, still exists. But it is mostly archival. After his death, I created a new page featuring Michael’s postdoom contributions here And if you love trees, visit my own long-standing website: Torreya Guardians . There you can learn about citizens helping trees migrate poleward (“assisted migration”) — which Robin Wall Kimmerer calls “helping forests walk.”