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| In Loving Memory Of Stuart Smith 1963 - 2011 |
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Stuart Smith was the love
of my life, and I would like to thank everyone for their unbelievably
inspiring support and friendship. He was my soul mate, partner and
playmate... and I cannot imagine life without my best friend. We would have been
married 25 years on Valentine's Day in 2012, and I am heartbroken
that we will not be able to have the adventure of a lifetime for the
next 25 years together. However, I am very lucky to have had Stu for
the last 27 years... He was the sweetest and most gorgeous man I have
ever met. My favorite memories are of us running down to the beach at
Waikiki at sunrise in only our swim suits, paddle boarding on his Mom's
lake in Bloomingdale, and riding our bikes in TriBeCa to watch the
sunset at the Statue of Liberty. We built our life and business
together in TriBeCa, with a dream to also have a shop in Waikiki. It
was always our goal to be socially responsible and to make a positive
difference in people's lives in whatever we did.
Regrettably, I was in
Paris on business when Stu was in the wrong place at the wrong time on
July 10, 2011. Tragically, while enjoying the evening on the roof garden with a friend, he came too close to the edge and accidentally lost his balance. We often spoke about all the situations he could not
believe he survived in the past during his diving career, and acknowledged he would have lost his
life helping rescue people at The World Trade Center
on September 11 had I not been in our shop that fateful morning. He was one of 6
Navy Deep Sea Divers trained in search and rescue to graduate out of a
class of 33, and was a fun loving, fearless daredevil. If Stu's passing
is fate, then it is a great love-story... If it is chance, then it is a
tragic accident. We met at the airport in Hawaii and said goodbye at
the airport in New York. My only consolation is that Stu left this
world the happiest he had ever been. Ironically, we spent the last 10
years rebuilding our business after September 11th and everything was
going great. He was getting ready for the dream trip of a life time to
Machu Picchu and the Amazon for the month of September 2011, and was so
excited to open his new raw juice bar when he returned in October. I am
the eternal optimist, and believe the lesson to learn is that life is
too short not to appreciate every moment with cherished loved ones and
wonderful friends.
Aloha, Aileen
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