Thank You LaRetta. A Memoriam

[Ocean West]

🕯️

I was informed today of the passing of @LaRetta this past February.

Thank you LaRetta for the many years of sage wisdom and insights to our community you will be missed!

[comment]

This is indeed a great loss to the FM community.

No one can equal her sharp eye for mistakes and her ability to pull a great idea out of a bucket of mediocre ones.

Above all, her good spirits and great sense of humor made it a pleasure to collaborate with her. It was a privilege to know her.

 

[bcooney]

Sad news to hear. She was kind, sharp as a tack and very funny. I was fortunate to have worked with her. She will be missed. 

[Joshua Willing Halpern]

LaRetta was one of the most fiercely loving and loyal friends I've ever had, despite never having had the pleasure to meet her in person. I'm so blessed to have worked with her until the end. She was unashamedly opinionated and caring, about people, justice, and about our craft.

She sent me this passage from Barbara Kingsolver late last year:
 

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And love stays alive if you tend it like a flame. If you feel crushed by unkindness today, it’s a time for grieving, reaching out to loved ones, noticing one bright color somewhere in the day. Remembering what there is to love. Starting with the immediate, the place and people we can tend ourselves, and make safe...
 

And we are all still here today, exactly as we were yesterday. Like gravity, and carbon, and the sun behind an eclipse.

And she followed it with:
 

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it was kinda long so I was going to skip it. Kinda hokey. But I'm kinda hokey. 😜

That's it! I've always felt I'll be here forever, no matter the form. My molecules will dance with the stars forever - we're immortal! I hope things are going well for you.

I love you LaRetta, and miss you dearly. Guess I'm a little hokey too. ❤️

Your friend,
Josh