Barbara Ann Parker, 62

Today we mourn the loss and celebrate the life of my dear friend and inspiration, Barbara. Growing up in Haiti we built stages, held pageants, threw parties, swam often, laughed always. She and her sister Patty organized us into musical productions for the cocktail hour when our parents routinely partied together. Her mother was my first grade teacher. Her dad and my dad started their own boat club, the Cocapou Yacht club. It was all in the 60's.
Seven years ago we reconnected when I moved to Miami. Barbara had relocated there from Haiti and I read about her mother's funeral at my neighborhood church. Since then it has been a joy to get to know her lovely kids, and her husband Ed. I cannot believe I am back to the neighborhood church and this time for Barbara... She will be greatly missed, but I know she will not allow us to cry for long. Her spirit soars.

I am honored to be asked by her sister and her daughter Laura to paint an image for the memorial program. I picked the Hispaniola Parrot because she loved them, they are from Haiti, and she owned one for 27 years who just predeceased her by a couple weeks. As I was painting this version, I felt Barabara laughing at my shoulder... her rich chuckle and mischievous twinkling eye...
It is just so unfair that she is gone now. It kicks my butt. Read her obit here.