— from Gretchen Krampf —
Our dear friend, and much-loved island woman, Erin Bea McCarthy, age 62, passed away on September 21 after a brief illness. Erin lived on Orcas since the late 80s and was known to many as the owner of Paradise Upholstery. Numerous island homes are enhanced by her sense of design, skill and love of fabrics.
Erin will always be remembered for her great storytelling, sense of humor and infectious laugh. Some friends suspected that she harbored a hidden ambition to be a stand-up comedian. Her favorite activities included old movies, singing and dancing and you may well have heard her rendition of Santana’s “Smooth” on Karaoke Night at the Lower. A Minnesota-born mermaid, Erin loved her island life and swam in Mountain Lake or the Lagoon whenever possible.
Erin Bea is survived by her beloved pooch, Bosen “Tators,” a large circle of grieving friends near and far, three sisters, a brother, and many nieces and nephews. Her last request was that there be no sad photo montage and that we all dance, dance, dance. Plans for a celebration are underway.
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On no, how can it be!!! We’ll miss Erin, and will remember her with a sense of joy. We’re extra grateful now to have touches of Erin’s beautiful craftsmanship in our home as sweet reminders.
Sniff…
I knew she took ill suddenly, but had no idea. She will be missed; she was one of a kind.
We will miss her . . . one of the people who has made the Orcas community such a great place. Always positive, always friendly, always fun.
She was a “great lady” and will miss seeing her out and about.
I didn’t know Erin, but my daughter and I talked to her briefly one day in a park on Orcas when we were visiting from Friday Harbor. We talked about how excited she was for the Valentine’s Day dance, and her dog Taters. She was the kind of person that you could meet once, for just a few minutes and they would leave a lasting impression. I feel lucky to have met her, even if only for a very brief moment in time.
I work for Trivantage and I have been trying to contact someone in her family. It is very important that someone replies to me it is concerning her account with us. I did not know she was deceased and I sent an email thru her go fund me page telling her I had a bit of good news aside from her situation. I felt really bad when I read further down that she had passed. My condolences to the family. I would like for either Patrick McCarthy or Bethany Ryals to contact me as soon as possible regarding some funds that are attached to her account. My name is Melissa Batista and I work for Trivantage in Glen Raven, NC. Please call me at your earliest convenience at 336-586-1174. Thank you and once again my deepest condolences.