In Memory
Honoring the roots in our foundation. Always with us. Always loved.
Our school is a spiritual greenhouse growing consciousness. This greenhouse is an energetic container built by the love and devotion of a community. The greatest asset of the Tree of Life Sanctuary is our participating Colleagues and Volunteers. They truly are the roots in our foundation.
All of this effort has been to nurture spiritual seekers in uncovering the Divine Within. Here we honor our community members that gave us so much, and have transitioned to the next state of existence.
RONNIE LEDER-ADAMS
3/16/51 – 4/6/97
Tree of Life Sanctuary’s first Initiate
Many of you “met” Ronnie when Laura tells her story in the Discover Your Personal Mission Statement course. She was with our School for only 28 days before her death from breast cancer. She donated her entire personal spiritual library of about 68 items to our School. When you check out something from the library, look inside the cover for her signature. Thank you, Ronnie, for “seeding” the Tree of Life Sanctuary library! You are still living deep in our hearts. (Visit the ToLS library page.)
BECKY BOURDEAU
2/10/63 – 10/2/13
Tree of Life Sanctuary’s first Team Coach who was in training to coach our Spiritual Satisfaction group program
Becky, a certified coach, came to the Tree of Life Sanctuary through the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) graduate community. She was participating in the Spiritual Satisfaction group program in preparation to coach it. She transitioned to the next dimension when a blood clot in her leg went to her lung. We love you, Becky!
ZEUS SCHAEFER
5/12/74 – 2/1/17
Hermetic Qabalah Initiate and creator of Tree of Life Sanctuary’s first website
Zeus (aka Abe Martin) was a man of astounding talents. While challenged with low vision (nearly blind), he had his own business as an instructor of songwriting and a consultant on record sales. He studied at Berklee College of Music and Edmonds College. He passed from a stroke. He had a wicked sense of humor and such an awesome laugh! We miss you dearly, Zeus!
GENE MECKA
12/9/39 – 10/7/18
Hermetic Qabalah Teacher, tarot reader and Tree of Life Sanctuary Team Coach
Gene and Laura Abernathy both trained as young seekers in the same School of the Soul. They became fast friends and fellow Soul travelers the rest of their lives. After Gene graduated as a Teacher and Minister of Qabalah, he went on to open his own School of the Soul in Seattle, WA, the Order of the New Aeon.
All along the journey of his life, he supported many of his Hermetic Qabalah peers in their unique Soul Work. One way he did this was to team up with the Tree of Life Sanctuary in his final years. While he triumphed for many years over Parkinson’s disease, he was diagnosed in the summer of 2018 with stage 4 esophageal cancer. He chose to die with consciousness while at home, being cared for by hospice and his beloved, devoted partner, Barbara.
Gene, we feel you with us still!
DIANA LADUE-HAND
Devoted, passionate and generous ally of the Tree of Life Sanctuary.
Many will easily remember our dear friend and cheerleader, Diana LaDue Hand. She was the creator and manager of Wise Awakening in Bellingham, WA. We can’t say enough about how gracious she was in bringing our founder, Laura Abernathy, in to the Wise Awakening practitioner team in 2010. This magickal connection was the beginning of our School of the Soul in the Bellingham, WA area.
Over more than ten years, Diana did so much to promote Laura as the Wise Awakening tarot reader. She was generous not only with her love, but also her abundance. She was the ToLS’s first landlord when we rented space by the hour in the Wise Awakening temple and practitioner rooms. When ToLS grew enough to have our own suite, she donated many pieces of furniture to us. In 2019, she donated a load of precious books to our spiritual library. Last but not least, she was an amazing “goddess girlfriend” to Laura.
She died on Saturday, June 20th, 2020, the summer solstice. Our loss of her goes deep and wide. While her journey now is a glorious one for sure, her absence from the physical plane is felt intensely.