Gary Sisco (June 27, 1954-September 17, 2020) was a dedicated partner of 27 years to Bronwyn. “Crispo,” as he was known to friends, was a lifelong lover of music, horses, and the struggle to improve the human condition against the unrelenting oppressive forces of capitalism, totalitarianism and authoritarianism.
Gary served in the Coast Guard in the 1970s, as a Loran tech on the isolated volcanic cratered hellscape of Iwo Jima. In the 1980s, he worked tirelessly as an activist, risking his life in Nicaragua to support the revolution and, upon his return, cofounding MACV (Material Aid Committee Vermont), sending material aid to the Nicaraguan military and the guerillas of El Salvador, fighting U.S.-backed terrorists. Crispo’s everyday commitment to the struggle for human dignity was wide-ranging and notable. He managed a homeless shelter and fought for public access to waterways and affordable housing. More recently, he was an outspoken supporter of democratic confederalism as practiced by the Kurdish YPG/YPJ. Gary was an Anarchist and longtime friend and confidant of Murray Bookchin, as well as a voracious reader of scholarly genres including political theory, history, the cosmos, religious writings and the natural world.
In the ’70s and ’80s, he toured nationally as a musician with a number of two-fisted bar bands, including the Sensitivos, the Clamtones and 100 Proof. Sisco loved regaling all and sundry with tales of drunken excess and gunplay while on tour. He maintained a lifelong connection with and love of jazz, hosting a long-running radio program about the same, and even became ensconced in the Lexington death metal scene.
All who knew Gary Sisco, a one-of-a-kind human being, will forever think of him most for having, without fail, the courage of his convictions and for his love of Brownyn. He will be missed by family, friends and a wide array of fellow travelers.
Services are being held in people’s hearts worldwide. Support for Brownyn can be made through GoFundMe “Remember Gary Support Bronwyn Sisco.”
This article appears in Sep 23-29, 2020.
Safe travels Crispo, your irascible, fervent activism, your dedication to humanity and your irreverent humor will be missed.
A man who never bought the bs and cared for all the right beings human and non. Guts and humor and commitment. Gary Sisco presente.
Gary was always present on the Burlington political scene and left a presence for future generations. A true sense of how radicalism could and did make a difference.
I met Gary when he was 17, I was in the John Cassel Band and he’d come down to the Salty Dog in Jeffersonville and let me bum Camels. We became fast buddies, played a lot of music together, listened to some great sides, hoisted a few glasses. One of a kind. I’ll miss him.
I’m sad to learn this. Gary was one of my first teachers at Johnson State College. He taught me about poetry and revolutions. He ignited my passion for Latin American studies that continues to this day. His CD, “The End of the Trail” is wonderful and I will listen to it often for the rest of my days. RIP, old friend. Salute. 💔
Gary was a one in a million kind of man, uncompromising, intelligent, stubborn, and steadfast! I was blessed to meet him as a youngster in Jeffersonville with many other lifelong friends. The herd is thinning! It’s still tough to fathom losing him,Tommy Fonda and Mark Gates in a short period of time, a toll of age and indulgence. The best way to honor these good friends is to keep being just who we’ve always been till the bell tolls for us also. RIP Gary.