[Jacqui]

Hello all

To those of you who knew Edith Sharpe in Russell, she was a trustee of ours for a year or so and you have never met a gentler soul, kind, extremely kind, thoughtful and sweet natured with a sparkling sense of humour.

Sadly, Edith lost her battle with cancer a few days ago, having recently celebrated her 40th birthday. Over recent years she had been very involved in community gardens and organics in Russell. She was also a key player in a trust that helped people with learning disabilities, based in Moerewa.

Russell people and those who knew Edith will always hold her in high regard.

Jacqui

[VickySteele]

Lovely poem Gill 🙂

I remember Edith as being a Trustee for longer than a year or two? She and Gill had already been Trustees for some time when I became one, and she only resigned a year before I ended my term of 4 years? She was Chairman for a while, but because she didn’t spend a lot of time on her computer she might not have been noticed as much as others by members.

Edith WAS special. We became friends from the minute we met. Despite all the dramas that went on in her life, she still found time to care for others and that wonderful sense of humour never left her!

I love that she helped people in need. I love that she loved creatures so much. I love that sparrows were her favourite birds, and I love that she loved helping Gill with her bird rescue work. I love that when I last saw her in August she was determined to fight her illness, but not stop living in the meantime. I love that she broke her special diet to share a wonderful meal with Gill and Eldon and Hugh and I 🙂

RIP dear Edith … you will be greatly missed.

[bevs]

Edith was a gentle and loving soul and a willing worker for the trust and other community groups. She is now at peace but will always be remembered by all who knew her. Farewell dear friend.

[Gilly]

Edith had just celebrated her 50th birthday, Jacqui.

Edith was a very very special person and a very special friend of mine and many others here in Russell and from further afield. She was willing to help anybody, she was a very caring person, she loved all animals and she had a wicked sense of humour. A rare spirit was our Edith – people loved her as did children – even in her illness, she never lost her sense of humour.
I, along with many others, will miss Edith.

RIP Edi you gentle soul.

This was sent to me by a friend:

She is Just Away
I cannot say, and I will not say
that she is dead – she is just away!

With a cheery smile, and a wave of the hand,
She has wandered into an unknown land,
And left us dreaming how very fair
It needs must be, since she lingers there.

And you – O you, who the wildest yearn
For the old time step and glad return,
Think of her faring on, as dear
In the love of There as in the love of Here;

Think of her still as the same, I say:
She is not dead – she is just away!!!

~J Whitcomb Riley~

[Author]

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