Remembering Edwin

Hi Everyone,

My name is Stef and I am organizing this fundraiser in memory of my friend Edwin and to support my best friend Kelly, who lost Edwin, her life and business partner of 21 years, suddenly and unexpectedly in the early hours of April 23rd, 2023.

In 2020, Kelly and Ed fulfilled their dream of taking their well-traveled and beloved bead store, Belladonna Beads, to the coast and settling in Garibaldi, Oregon. They should have had many more years together in their new community, growing old and enjoying everything their dream had to offer. Although Edwin has embarked on the next great adventure, the wonderful and welcoming space they built together will forever hold his memory.

For those who have had the pleasure of knowing Kelly and Ed, it has always been clear just how much Ed loved and cared for Kelly. I know that he would have wanted nothing more than for her to receive as much love and support as possible from all who care for her during this difficult time.

As we all know, death brings not only emotional pain and stress but also financial burdens. As a community, I hope that we can come together to raise funds to cover funeral expenses and medical bills. Any additional funds raised will go towards easing Kelly's financial burden. Giving her the time and space she needs to grieve without worrying about immediate living costs and in doing so, honouring Ed's love for Kelly by providing this support.

In times of loss and sadness, we see people come together to help one another make it through, supporting those we care for. We are incredibly grateful and appreciative of any help you may be able to provide.

Currently, a celebration of Edwin's life has not yet been planned. When decisions are made, we will provide the information for all who loved him to remember him together.

I’d like to leave you with a poem Kelly shared after Edwin's passing:

Someone Forgot to Whisper Your Death to the Bees

~Ansel Elkins

Someone forgot to whisper your death to the bees

And so all the bees have left

And the fruit trees have died.

In the house there are twelve ghosts

And all of them you—

Caught like birds in the stations of girlhood.

One ghost kneels before an empty fireplace;

She sings her sister’s name

Into the cool mouth of the chimney,

Listens as the voice shivers

Its return.

A barefoot ghost pitches stones

Down the red dirt road.

The melancholy sister at the kitchen window

Waits for a letter, watches for the postman.

Twelve ghosts. Each sister ties

A different color ribbon in her hair.

One sweeps all the rooms of the house.

Two stand before the mirror. But it’s bad luck

For two to look into a mirror at the same time;

The youngest will die.

And what of the one in the basement?

No, we don’t visit her.

Twelve white plates laid on the table for supper.

All twelve drink water from one well.

Each daughter moves in the mood of her own month.

They carry the tides, the seasons, the year of you.

Each daughter, each dancer,

Delivers the message of you.

One dreams she’s a racehorse rider—

She straddles the propane tank in the yard

And rides recklessly into the night.

One ghost plays a nocturne on the piano,

While another skips into the room,

Strikes the discordant keys, and vanishes.

The last ghost leans with her ear against a dead wasp nest.

She closes her eyes and listens

To you, still singing

Beyond the kingdom of the living

Please remember to be kind to each other, love each other as much as possible, and don’t take a single moment for granted. Life is too short to not be present as much as possible.

Thank you so very much.