photo of erin from her blog
lisa emailed me today to let me know that erin perry had died of pancreatic cancer. and..if you knew her and aren’t active on facebook, or hadn’t otherwise heard of her death, i wanted to tell you.
our circle of art friends on the interwebs grows smaller.
i met erin once at the library in cambria where she worked until she retired. i liked her immediately. what stood out to me was a sense of deep quiet. of solidity. of not using words to fill space. over the years we’ve emailed from time to time. united in our love of introverts. she lived with her wife margo, a few hours up the coast from me. she was always so generous with her comments. i went back to my archives to read through them. She left about 100 since 2007. how good it was to read them back and remember replying to her and laughing. our ongoing “conversation” about life in california, art, the weather, travel, and happiness. beautiful thoughts i will cherish. I’ll share a handful of them here.
how glad i am that she took that last trip to venice with her beloved. when i took my first trip there a few years ago she gave me some good recommendations. when i went to budapest, she sent me some tiny postcards that i pasted into my travel journal. i always loved seeing her name in my inbox.
goodbye dear erin. waving to you from down here in LA, your long ago stomping grounds.
i am printing these out and pasting them in my writing journal. i want to remember erin for a long long time.
Peace and love to Erin and her wife. She is floating on the silky clouds above and looking down with affection and joy. She is also probably kickin’ out one hell of a journal. Here’s to the introverts!!
Elizabeth
First I was attracted to the warmth of her smile.
Yes, the circles grow smaller and smaller, as our parents depart for other realms and now,
We , ourselves blink out…one by one by one , like candles on a cake.
Must say , it was a shock to finally realize that it was The Erin from Morro Bay whose remarks I’d read with pleasure so many times.
I did not know her, yet, I Knew her
And send my sincere condolences to her wife, and tribe of family and friends.
I want to believe that somewhere else, she is pain free and gleaming.
Big hugs for you,
Sassa
oh no! I’m so very sorry to hear about erin’s passing MA. Your tribute to her is so very dear and lovely. She sounds like such a wonderful person, her blog comments are so vibrant and charming. Sending hugs and wishing all those dear to her, much comfort in this heartbreaking time.
Oh, I’m so sorry.
Sorry to hear about your friend Erin, much too young, I always loved billy Joel’s, only the good die young. Prayers and aloha to her loved ones, aloha, Angi in hana
Your characterization of Erin is right on the nose. I found her one of the few people who could make me feel calm… She brought peace with her. She also had a fabulous sense of humor and of the absurd. We giggled over the oddest things. Margot is her angel. I rarely use that word.
I cherish the time I had with Erin and the lovely gifts from her, and I was so stunned when Margot informed me that her cancer had returned with a vengeance. We thought she had a bit longer, but it was only days…
She is a light.
Lovely tribute, I checked her blog yesterday and was stunned to find Margot’s announcement. It felt as if all the air in the room was suddenly sucked out. I didn’t want to believe what I was reading. So sad…
This is such a lovely tribute. Life is so wildly fleeting; it makes me hungry for everything.
Cortney
A most fitting tribute and remembrance. Among the dearest souls ever encountered, Erin. So encouraging to any of us in our more fragile moments. Talk about sunshine on a cloudy day. xo
I remember you mentioning her on your blog and seeing her name pop up. I’ve also visited her blog from time to time. This post was a lovely way to commemorate her!
Oh, a little light goes out in the world when a gentle soul like this leaves the earth. We can only hope they are shining their light somewhere special, still spreading the love. You’ve paid a lovely tribute to your friend by bringing back her sweet words to savor her kindness. A look, a smile, a certain turn of phrase, their laughter, those are the things we cling to.
Hugs to you and all those who loved her.
🙁 thanks for the lovely eulogy…..
Missy from the bayou
I cried when I read the sad news last night ~ She and I never got to meet in person; my loss.
Hugs ~
Oh no..I am shedding tears in my coffee this morning. Such sad news. I never got to meet Erin, but felt like I knew her through her blog. Such a kind, talented, loving, beautiful woman. Always creating wonderful things, even in the midst of her illness, and between chemo treatments. My heart goes out to Margot, and to all of her family. And to all of those who felt love for her, we will remember her beautiful spirit, always. Peace be with you Dear Erin.
I remember reading comments from Erin in Morro Bay; always one of your circle of regulars. It sounds like she had a well-lived life, I’m so sorry for the loss of a good soul.
What a wonderful way to celebrate Erin. Lovely post about a very special person and relationship. We introverts must stick together! Erin was a marvelous artist and so much fun to visit her blog.
hugs to you …..
Oh Mary Ann, My heart is broken this morning. I went and visited Erin in Morro Bay that last time I was there for work. She gave me bags of book covers and a ton of ephemera. She said she was feeling well even though she was in the middle of Chemo. She would never complain. I so loved her studio. It is a most wonderful space. I am so glad I was always able to visit Erin and Margo when time would allow and Erin would show me what she was working on at that time. I am so sorry to hear of her passing. She was THE best!
I’m so sorry to hear of Erin’s death even though I never met her. Losing someone we’ve connected to across the net is hard. I’m so glad to read that betwixt chemo etal she managed that trip with her wife to Venice. Magic to fill the soul in those final months.
Just to say it now while you can read it…I’d miss you terribly too. <3
Condolences on the loss of your friend. May she rest in peace, and may her words and thoughts live on with those who loved her.
I am very sorry for your loss, she sounds like a lovely friend. I am glad you have things to look back on and celebrate.
I’m very sorry to read you have lost your friend. I’m sure you will find a way to celebrate her.
I’m sorry to hear of the loss of your friend. She sounded like a lovely person. My thoughts go out to her wife and family. You were lucky know someone so kind.
Oh this is so terribly sad.To have such a passion for life and to loose it is inexplicably tragic.I lost my own sister to Cancer in June.You keep thinking you must tell them something and they aren’t there to tell….it makes one want to live life more ferociously, more intently,wasting none of those sweet quiet moments standing in the dark, counting the stars in the inky blackness and wondering which one is theirs..