In a recent tribute, SF Gate contributor Nicholas G. Meriwether wrote: “The Grateful Dead folk motif describes the obligation the living owe the dead, a belief found in cultures around the world. It tells us that when we honor that obligation, we will be repaid in ways we cannot anticipate or imagine. An ancient expression of faith, it urges us to embrace life as a continuum – one that includes those who have passed on and who rely on the living to steward their legacy.”