News of the September 24 passing of Hat Sister John Michael Gray swept through Boston, Provincetown and beyond over the weekend.
While a full report of the life and legacy of Gray and his surviving husband, Tim O’Connor—the other fabulous and treasured half of the Hat Sisters—is coming soon, we at Boston Spirit wanted to extend our deepest, heartfelt gratitude and condolences.
“For over 25 years, two men, yes two men, have donned extravagant hats, often with matching dresses and accessories, and showing up as the main attraction to benefit any number of charitable causes,” a ONE New England report described the pair in 2011. “Affectionately known as ‘The Hat Sisters’ to their legion of fans and friends, the Hat Sisters have worn their unique and colorful hats on untold number of occasions to help raise money for, or draw attention to, a worthy cause.”
Their presence was in such demand, reports the article, that they “maintain[ed] a rigorous schedule with as many as three different events in one day and, of course, twice that number of hats need to be designed and constructed. Even their old hats serve a charitable purpose as they donate them to organizations like Rosie’s Place, a Boston organization that supports the homeless, for auction.”
Word is that Gray fought a swift, tough battle with cancer over the summer. Friends, family and so many neighbors who may have only shared smiles with him but considered him and Tim a kind of best-friend couple were touched by news of Gray’s illness over the summer and made contributions to help the two fight Gray’s illness. On his gofundme page, a brief testimonial summed it up as such:
In time of great social turbulence, profound illness, isolation and heartbreak in the gay community, John Michael Gray and Tim O’Connor created an extrodinary and heroic presence, by creating flamboyant works of fascinator haberdashery. The Hat Sisters joyously and generously entertained people from all walks of life with their unique and artisic fashion statement. They did not walk away from controversy. They walked towards acceptance, breaking down barriers of prejudice wherever they went. Just as they walked for us then, we will walk for them now.
