We celebrated my sister Anita’s life on October 10, 2010 at a memorial service at her church in Oregon City, Oregon. Over 100 people – family, friends and associates gathered to share their memories in eulogies and many humorous anecdotes, that made clear the huge impact Anita had on their lives.
The following is her bio taken from the program and the obituary I wrote:
Anita Trudeau, 56, a fused glass artist, died of liver cancer September 1 at her home in Oregon City. She was surrounded by her loving family at her death. Born November 19, 1953 in River Rouge, Michigan, Anita grew up in New York City and Venice, California before making her home in the Portland area in 1989.
Anita earned her living as a realtor, tax preparer and for the past 13 years was an office administration and marketing assistant for WealthCounsel.
An ardent feminist, she was an active member of NOW for 10 years and served as president of its Clackamas County chapter for one year. She was a Camp Fire Girl leader for five years, emphasizing cultural and intellectual activities for her troop of young girls, which included her daughter Alyssa. Always socially and politically active (she held an elected position in The Peace and Freedom Party in the late 70’s – early 80’s) she strongly believed in community activism; in the immediacy of local involvement. Acting on her belief in the inherent worth of all people, Anita most recently served as an advocate and mentor for inmates at the Coffee Creek Facility for Women. Anita cared deeply for the women she worked with and was especially drawn to help those who had been forgotten or abandoned by their families.
A long-time, active member of the Atkinson Memorial Church in Oregon City, Anita said she was drawn to the Universalist Unitarian community because of its professed beliefs in equality and openness and its inclusiveness to all colors, races, creeds and sexual orientation. Her daughter Alyssa confirms, “She taught me tolerance and acceptance of all. She was always there for me, and also for her step-children and the children of friends. Mom always stepped up to the plate.”
A love of travel and streak of adventurism featured strongly in Anita’s life. During the late 1970’s she lived in San Miguel de Allende, a Mexican city noted for its artists’ community. In 1979 she went to Puerto Rico for the Pan American games. She coursed through the games on her roller skates, selling T-shirts with her original silk screened designs. In 1976 she took a cross country road trip with her boyfriend and 2 large dogs, a trip she considered one of the most memorable experiences of her life.
Anita loved Hawaii – she was always drawn to beaches and the ocean. She said one of her great pleasures was “to soak up the sun and feel the waves rolling over her body.” Besides loving the beaches of California, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, Anita longed to explore the Greek Islands, Italy and Cuba with her daughter, Alyssa.
A polymath, Anita explored and developed expertise in various fields from gardening (which included raising chickens and bee-keeping, long before they were popular activities) to the physical sciences, especially astronomy and physics. She was an accomplished artist who worked in the fabric arts: silk screen, knitting and quilting. She developed as a ceramicist working at the Sofia Center in Portland but felt her best work was her latest work in fused glass art.
Our Aunt Bert, who was at Anita's side during her passing, regretted she could not attend the memorial. This is her remembrance of Anita:
The first time I met Anita was at a family wedding. We were meeting for the first time because I am the missing aunt who was finally reunited after 58 years with Anita’s mother, my sister Maria. But that’s another story and this is about Anita.
At our first meeting I thought Anita was a little shy. She held herself tall with dignity and quiet reserve. The next time, I met Anita, January 2009, was a sad time. Anita's mother, my sister Maria, was dying and was in the care of family and Hospice. During that difficult time I saw how Anita worked with her sisters in caring for her mother and how she also helped put together the final arrangements for their mothers viewing, rosary and Mass. A “hands on person,” Anita laid out the art work for the program for the services. It was at this time that Anita was beginning to feel discomfort and pain, and a couple of months later she was diagnosed with cancer.
I next saw Anita at her mother's memorial, held on Memorial Day weekend in May 2009. Anita was ill but she worked with her niece Kimberly and her sisters Stevie, Joie and Zoralie to prepare food, flowers and a lovely service for family, friends and many of Maria's clients from her tax service business who attended. Even in her illness, Anita exuded warmth and serenity.
And the last time I saw Anita and Alyssa, was Anita's last week. That was when I truly came to realize the person Anita was. I discovered and came to know her through the many people who visited Anita to say goodbye. Some were wonderful friends and many were associates who had participated with Anita in charitable, services to others. I learned about Anita's love and respect for all humanity, nature, animals and most of all, her family.
In her last week Anita was surrounded by friends who cherished her, by family she loved and who in turn loved her beyond measure, and by her sweet adored daughter, Alyssa. It is my belief, that Alyssa is truly Anita's greatest legacy. When I found my sister and her daughters my family grew and I had more love in my life. But with that love came some heartache too. I am blessed to have known Anita for as long as I did. I love you Anita and always will. Until later, your Aunt Bert
I'm sorry I didn't say these following words at the memorial but I wanted to add that I'm the person Anita visited on her cross country trip with the boyfriend and the two large dogs. She just showed up at my house in Connecticut and it turned out to be a really great visit.
A few years ago Anita and I discussed Asian art - she loved it and I just didn't get it. When she was dying and we were talking about this and that, I told her about an exhibition of a Japanese artist - a potter and silk screen artist - whose work just knocked me out. It was so beautiful. Anita smiled and sweetly reminded me, "See, I told you."
Anita knew a lot and she was extremely accomplished as an artist and as a business woman. I am so excited about her fused glass art. I feel her collaborator, Mike must find a way to channel her ideas and presence and continue making beautiful glass.
A jazz musician, Timothy Marquand said, "When a BIG PERSONALITY, a BIG SOUL dies, it leaves a huge empty space and you have to fill that empty space with beautiful things..."
Anita leaves a really huge space so let's keep looking for beauty.
Lots of beauty.
Naemeh's recycled and repurposed wearable art: earrings and pendants fashioned from lace fragments, are perfect for today's active woman - at work, working out or going out.
Urbaez, silk screen fashion designer 0f Stevie's Artisans, was just featured in an article in Manhattan Times, an online newspaper that covers Upper Manhattan (Washington heights and Inwood.) The following excerpt is written by Gloria Pazmino, who did the interview in Ivette's apartment/atelier.
Anita died in her home surrounded by family and friends she loved and who now miss her terribly. The next day Alyssa, my sister Joie and her daughter, Kimberly and I picnicked on Mt Tabor Park, overlooking Portland. We drank a bottle of Oregon pinot noir, shared wonderful memories and I took notes for the obituary I would write for the local newspaper. It was a sunny, crisp end-of-summer day which Anita would have loved. The only thing she would have loved more would have been a day at the beach.
