A tribute to a great artist

Kathleen was, in my estimation, in the top tier of digital abstract artists in the world. She never blew her own horn, never tried to market her work. She was an artist, and for her making the art was all that mattered.

I've introduced you to her a bit in my previous posts. Here is a link to a small album of her work that I put up on flikr last night. It has 300 pieces in it, most of which were done this year. That represents 10% of her whole body of work. I've been given the task of curating this enormous collection, and I thought perhaps some of the people here would like to get a glimpse of her true greatness.

Thank you for letting me share so much of our process here over the last few months. Posting here has given me a great sense of release and relief. You have held space for her passing in the most gracious manner possible.

Kathleen's album on flikr

She is gone.

My beloved soulmate, Kathleen Farago May, died today. She was 65 years old, and had been suffering from ovarian cancer for the last five months. In the end the suffering proved too much to bear, especially given that there was no chance of recovery.

Her transition happened as she had wished - peacefully at home, without pain, with serenity, awareness and deep curiosity.

The world will miss Kathy's wisdom, insight, love, humour and her overflowing creativity.

Her spirit will live on in the memories and hearts of all who knew her, as well as in the thousands of sublime works of art she created during her lifetime. Her soul has become an integral part of the world and the deeper Mystery, as it has always been.
Kathleen, we who love you honour your life, and wish you a safe, joyous and transcendent journey.

Kathy was born on May 24, 1952 in Budapest Hungary. She escaped into Austria with her parents in the final wave of refugees in 1956 by walking out across snow-covered marshes, one of the youngest children to take that route. She came as a refugee to Montreal, where she spent the next 16 years. She then spent 11 years in London Ontario where we first met in 1972, 13 years in Rochester New York, and 14 years in Los Angeles, where we were finally re-united. She spent her last seven years in Ottawa, making art full time.

She realized she was an artist at the age of five. She was especially prolific during the last decade, thanks to her embrace of digital art and fractals. She has left us an enormous body of work, literally thousands of digital paintings. Her images have caused many of her fans to say that they feel they are looking at the structure of reality itself, or perhaps getting a glimpse into their own souls. Spending time with Kathleen's work is a transcendent experience. I will always treasure the memory of watching her at work, as her Muses channeled the inspiration that flowed from her hands onto the computer screen.

Bodhi Paul Chefurka

Kathleen has asked me to share this last message with the world.

Collecting my thoughts

I have gathered up the various bits and pieces I have written over the last two weeks. This morning I edited them into this letter that I'm sharing with the small circle of friends in whom we have confided as events unfolded. In this circle I include all the members of DU who have shared the process and offered such whole-hearted support here on the End of Life board. You are a rare and fine group of people, and I'm proud to have you as friends.

After this post I shall go silent until after Kathleen's passing. Thank you all once more.

The Jackalope (née Bodhi Paul Chefurka)

Thank you all for your warm wishes.

There is no sadness in the Jackalope home today. Instead there is a spirit of quiet celebration and joy. We both feel a profound sense of completion.

The journey that we began 45 years ago at a smoke-filled hippie party has wound its idiosyncratic way through friendship and decades of separation, and culminated in a seven-year explosion of unconditional love when we re-united in 2010.

We have done everything that needed doing; we have left no thoughts unspoken. We have forgiven everyone whether they needed it or not; we have told all our loved ones how much we love them. We have said our good-byes, no more words are needed. The look in her eyes tells me that we are truly one soul.

When we look into each other's' eyes for the last time, as the doctor empties his syringe, it will be with full consciousness and the certain knowledge that neither of us is really going anywhere.

The time is set.

Mrs. Jackalope has had two independent medical assessments as required by law, and has been ruled eligible to receive medical assistance in dying. She will have the procedure on Tuesday, after the mandatory 10-day waiting period has expired. The consulting physicians were kind, empathetic, and caring beyond our expectations. They are doing everything in their power to ensure her a peaceful, pain-free death. The home care nurses who have come every day are similarly dedicated to her comfort. The entire palliative care system has performed in the highest traditions of compassion at every turn.

She and I have been meditating tonight on the amount of horror and misery that exists in the world. In contrast, the degree of privilege represented by our experience is breathtaking and humbling. That it is available without cost or question to an ordinary, impoverished middle class couple scrubs away the grimy crust of cynicism, to reveal the best of humanity.

The latest update

Today Mrs. Jackalope spoke with her home nurse and palliative care doctor, and initiated a request for what's known in Canada as MAiD: Medical Assistance in Dying. She meets all the criteria, and it will happen within a couple of weeks.

She said last night that she's done, the suffering is now too deep to endure any more, with nothing to look forward to except raw survival - life without living. Oddly enough, the one aspect of suffering that is not an issue for her is the one people fear most - pain. Everything else sucks, though.

Neither she nor I are that attached to life, it would appear. As always I completely support her wishes, and am in awe of her courage and clarity. Thank God we live in 21st century Canada, with access to legal medical marijuana and legal medical suicide.

I love her so much.
The Jackalope

Drawing to a Close

More background on Rudy Giuliani, Comey and "the letter"

Mrs. Jackalope

Mrs. Jackalope