Cypress Stuart

Leaping into the afterlife with certainty and joy

Cypress and Robin Stuart

For those who have not heard yet, my beautiful wife and partner of 30 years, passed away on June 2. Cypress Stuart was one of the kindest, smartest, wisest, loveliest, and most beautiful souls I have ever known. It was certainly one of my greatest blessings in this life to be her partner, as well as coparent to three amazing daughters…all of whom we are enormously proud.

Cypress was diagnosed with dementia (most likely FTD) one year ago exactly. It clearly was a very fast acting form of dementia which took her speech, her balance, her memory, and her ability to tolerate sounds and activities. She left this world of her own accord and on her own terms, leaping into the afterlife with certainty and joy.

True to form, Cypress did not leave us until she was certain that her family members could handle the pain of her passing, and accept with strength and groundedness the loss we would all inevitably feel from her absence. And of course she did…it was just who she was.

Cypress lived her life as a person with immense integrity, and a compassion that came from a deep well of love within herself. She was not one who let many people get close to her, however, those she did, she loved wholeheartedly, without expectations or judgements of any kind, and with her best intentions always for the other.

She was the calm to my storm, the beacon of light for our children, and the very, very best friend to me that I ever could have hoped for.

Though we grieve the loss of her, we remember her before this sorrow, and celebrate her freedom back to the soul space of her enormous heart: her bright light, her mama bear vigils, her tender touch, and her swaying in my arms as we danced in the kitchen.

I wish to name just a few of the people whose lives she so deeply touched, and whom she loved so sweetly here on earth. There would be so many more names on a list of those she affected, but I name these people as those who deeply moved her heart throughout her life, as a tribute to her loving relationships: Zoe, Lex, and Poppy and of course me, Robin Stuart…the Stuart Clan; Mitsuyo Morodomi, her mother; Kathleen Neilsen, her lifelong friend; Pearl Yamaguchi, her bestie'; Janine, Joshua and Gabe McAuley, her elected family; Joe, her first Love Ray Kaplan, just part of the family; Morgan Kennedy, our adopted kin; Billie Eleanor Silberman and Kitty Ritz, very dear friends; Joanne Williams, my mother and her other mother.

You can let go now, my love. We’re good.