Thrasher<\/em> magazine.<\/p>\n\u201cMarc Johnson passed away today. He was one of the most talented and creative people to ever step on or off a skateboard,\u201d Barletta wrote, adding that Johnson visited him in San Jose just days before his death:<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was sober, healthy, and full of life. We had a blast reminiscing about the old days. He seemed genuinely excited about the future. He even extended his ticket by a couple of days so he could explore some of the old haunts around San Jose,\u201d Barletta recalled, adding:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it came time to drop him off at the airport, he handed me an envelope. <\/p>\n
\u201cI waited until I got home to open it. Inside was a three-page list of his hopes and dreams for the future. Never in a million years did I imagine that less than a month later, he would be gone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI watched him achieve all his skateboard dreams, and I sat next to him at the Away Days premiere\u2014only to later watch his career fall apart. <\/p>\n
\u201cI still don\u2019t understand why my friend is gone at 49 years old. I don\u2019t know why he chose to come visit me. Was there some bigger purpose to it, or was he looking for closure? <\/p>\n
\u201cMarc was a genius and a tortured soul. He told me he wanted to be remembered for his skateboarding, not for his failures or shortcomings.<\/p>\n
Barletta went on to write that after a troubled youth, Johnson \u201cmade it out, traveled the world, and touched so many lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe gave opportunities to people who might never have had a chance otherwise,\u201d Barletta concluded.<\/p>\n
Our thoughts go out to Marc Johnson\u2019s loved ones during this enormously difficult time.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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