On February 3, Dee Carlin found peace after a decade-long illness. Dee spent her last week surrounded by the love of family, in particular her two boys, Rob and Rory, her sister Cathy, and friends who came to visit and share memories.

Dee was a trained landscape architect who found beauty in wildflowers, loved nature walks, collected books of Mary Oliver's poetry, and never met a dog she didn't like. She was always eager to help others and lived her life with kindness and curiosity. Dee graduated from the University of Colorado and earned her master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Her adventurous spirit brought her from her home in New Jersey, to Colorado, Pennsylvania, Northern Ireland, and then Vermont. Above all, Dee adored her boys, who were the center of her world. In her fifties, Dee was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, a challenge she faced with grace.

Dee left behind an unfinished bucket list that her family is committed to honoring and completing in her memory. Two of Dee's wishes included supporting refugees in Vermont and contributing to the Vermont Women's Fund. We invite you to join us in celebrating Dee's life and values by making a donation to support these causes and help fulfill her final wishes. Donations will be split between the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project and the Vermont Women's Fund. (Stay tuned for our family fulfilling some of Dee's other dreams, including cycling across Vermont, learning to make a quilt, and visiting Bhutan, Costa Rica, and Scandinavia.)

Thank you, Dee, for your kindness, love, and attention to the most magical parts of the world (flowers, dogs, babies, and community, being just a few of the places your trained eye saw beauty). And thank you all for helping us to honor Dee's legacy.