I’ve received very sad news today of the passing of Jeffry Pastorelli, Team Captain of the Relay for Hope team at Relay for Life for the last two years. And in both years the team was placed second, and raised L$3548595 – an outstanding achievement for a team that raised its money without big Fairs or enormous gridwide events (which is certainly NOT a criticism of those events; just a measure of how hard Team Relay for Hope worked).
I first met Jeffry when we featured the Remembering Our Friends Memorial on Designing Worlds back in March 2009. Jeffry talked then about his Relay for Life Team, and I was so excited to see them at the event with a wonderful, richly complex build that featured a maze, an aquarium, a stage, the four seasons … and a salute to internationalism with more flags from more countries than I saw on any other campsite, and scripted words of greeting and thoughts in a multiplicity of languages.
It was a great build, created with so much love and pride, and Jeffry took me all over it, explaining every detail and everyone’s contribution with such enthusiasm and delight.
This year I looked out for Relay for Hope again – because I knew they would have a terrific, fun build, and I really wanted to interview them on the telethon. I found them, and Jeffry, working hard on the build in the days before the event. Jeffry said he was a little tired … but eager for Relay for Hope to be featured, and proud as ever of what the team were achieving.
Sadly, on the day of the telethon, Jeffry was too tired after the events of the Survivors’ Lap to be able to participate, but Skye Leroux talked to me instead. That was, sadly, the last time I saw Jeffry. But I shall miss him and his fighting spirit, his enthusiasm, his charm, his good humour and his courage.
Below is the show he appeared on, talking of the loss of his mother and his memorial to her – and also his plans for the future. And I am so saddened – and my heart goes out to Jeffry’s real wife Karen (and SL partner Tessie) and family, and his SL family, friends and team.
As his friend Amanda Steadham said: “May Jeffry be kept in our prayers and may he guide us along the road as he has done to MANY of us, especially TEAM RELAY FOR HOPE. The heavens have an angel to watch over us.”
JEFFRY PASTORELLI
RL: Nov 14, 1953 – Aug 9, 2010
SL: Dec 22nd – Aug 9, 2010
Friends of Jeffry who wish to pay tribute to him will be able to do so at a Memorial Service to be held on Sunday August 29th at 1pm SLT at the Remembering Our Friends sim (ROF), followed by a celebration of Jeffry’s life with live music – as Jeffry would have wanted.
If people want further information, please contact Amanda Steadham or Skye Leroux inworld. Messages to Tessie can be passed on through them.
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