In Memoriam ►
Remembering the Johnson Family in Their Loss of Tres by Dolores Halbin
On September 9, 2025, I lost a friend. Many people lost Tres Johnson, his mom, brothers, and grandparents, but I’ m going to be selfish for a moment and say,“ Ouch, I lost a friend.”
Once again, our loss is heaven’ s gain. Tres, his mom Brandy, and a few other special needs kids are among the small group of people in my life who knew my husband, Gene Halbin. We met Tres, Brandy, and the rest of the kids, along with their warrior moms, on April 1, 2014, 13 days after the raid on Gene’ s glaucoma garden, and just days before they arrested us. We had been invited to speak before the Missouri Law Committee in Jefferson City about SB-985, for medical marijuana.
We were next in line to talk about glaucoma and cannabis after Brandy. Then, Gene met Tres, and everything changed. Gene leaned over and said,“ If you think I’ m going to go up there and complain about a little eye pain( his eye pressure was 65psi, normal is 11psi) in front of those moms, you’ re nuts.” Crying, he looked at me and said,“ You go fight for them, honey. This isn’ t about us anymore.”
My two minutes turned into 20. I preached the Beatitudes, scolded them, and shook my finger. Gene played with Tres. The bill resulted in a CBD-only bill, and Tres needed THC, so that fall, mother and son left their home and family to join the rest of the Colorado Medical Refugees.
I am writing this on Monday, September 15, my 70th birthday. Tres died six days ago. On Friday, I couldn’ t hold it together. I couldn’ t stop crying. I wasn’ t in the mood for a weekend Dolores Day birthday campout and
Tres party. Then, I envisioned
Gene and Tres in the great hall of the Capitol Building in Jefferson City that day, Tres in his chair, Gene on his knees, and they were both still laughing together.
Over the past eleven years since we met, 99.99 % of the pictures I’ ve seen of Tres, and 100 % of the times we were together, he was laughing, always laughing. So, in honor of Tres and my husband, I will not give up on laughter. Today, I will see those two nuts in the hall together and know Gene was there to clear a path for Tres last week. I know they are absolutely beyond a shadow of a doubt, together.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Brandy with expenses. Please scan the QR Code to donate.
October 2025 33