Jeffrey Parker, better known to friends and professionally as “Jay Tripper,” was a talented artist known for his patience and thoughtful nature, according to friends.

The 35-year-old Toronto native, an event co-ordinator in the city’s electronic music scene and a prolific graphic designer, was the victim of a stabbing near Allan Gardens on Thursday, Dec. 6.

He was set to move to Montreal on Friday to focus on his art, said friend Tim Ellis.

Ellis, also an event co-ordinator, said Tripper was almost universally loved in Toronto’s underground electronic music scene, in which he was heavily involved.

“There are a lot of promoters out there in our scene,” he said. “People know them because that’s the job, but not all of them are loved the way that Jay was.”

Tripper made a living as a graphic designer, operating under the company name “Field Trip Designs,” but organized and promoted music events in his free time, Ellis said. His events combined elements of swing, funk and house, with a strong focus on visual arts.

Ellis said he and Tripper first met more than five years ago while they were organizing the same music event. Tripper was known throughout the community for his patient, thoughtful nature and the joy he brought to everyone he met, Ellis said.

“He was building a space for people to come together and have a community. To know him was to love him.”

Tripper died Thursday after being stabbed in his home near the intersection of Gerrard and George Sts. His death marks Toronto’s 92nd homicide of 2018.

Tyler Reynolds, 22, of Toronto was arrested at the time of the incident and has been charged with second-degree murder.

Tripper’s last Facebook post, which was posted only a few hours before his death, has become a de facto memorial page for friends and colleagues. The post, a transcription of the lyrics to the song “Babylon” by The Interrupters, has collected more than 300 reactions and more than 140 comments as of writing.

A GoFundMe started on behalf of Tripper’s longtime partner has more than doubled its initial goal of $3,500 in under a day. According to the campaign page, the goal is to help Tripper’s partner, referred to only as Kevin, “cover the costs of extracting himself painlessly” from the house where the stabbing occurred.

The GoFundMe also pledges to preserve Tripper’s art, which has been featured on concert and event posters for more than 50 musicians and comedians, according to his company’s Facebook page. His work features bright colours and intricate line work, borrowing elements from vintage music posters, pop culture and art deco.

CHAOS Syndicate, an event planning and management group, will also be raising money on Tripper’s behalf at a music event on Saturday night.

The event, hosted at Socialite Restaurant & Bar in Kensington Market, was initially planned to raise funds for CHAOS. Following Tripper’s death, the event page was updated with a request for additional donations to contribute to his funeral costs and a note that the night “will be dedicated to him and all he did for this city.”

The event organizers also specify on the page that they “will be donating the leftover portion of (their) CHAOS donations to Jay’s family and to create a custom memorial in his honour.”

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Ellis said preserving and promoting Tripper’s body of work is something he, too, feels strongly about and highlighted his immense talent and distinctive style.

“(His art) was just so incredibly good,” said Ellis. “It’s really a loss for the species to have lost his talent, too.”