(Floridian) Stacey Cyrus

Our friend Stacey, known to all of DG as Floridian joined us on June, 4, 2001. She was an avid gardener and an advocate for native plants.
Stacey understood that shrinking wild areas were threatening wildlife and native insects and encouraged gardeners to use them instead of non-natives that might escape and cause problems.
Her skillful photographs captured the beauty of native plants and weeds and we are proud to have her 1079 images in Plantfiles.
She also contributed to our other databases with 62 images in BugFiles and 73 images in BirdFiles. She leaves us with a legacy of these beautiful photographs and her obvious love of nature. She unselfishly shared her gift with us and helped build the community to what it is today.
Her legacy does not stop there, as she was a teacher to many, and a friend to all. Many of us count her as a personal friend, as she attended many DG gatherings and Roundups.
Her sunny personality and giving nature earned her many real-life friendships in the community. She fought her illness with courage and grace, inviting us to share the journey with her.


Rest in peace my friend. We will miss you. A special thank-you to Gardenwife for the picture of Stacey taken at the 2008 KYRU



Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter. ~Ansel Adams

Melody, thank you for this loving tribute - DEAR GOD, I can't believe she's gone! My heart and soul are hurting so deeply, as I think of all Stacey contributed - not only to my life, as my best Friend, but to the lives of everyone she met! I KNOW Stacey went to her Heavenly Father, knowing her value to others here on this earth - Stacey, I will see you in Heaven - Love you LADY!

Valla con Dios
Go with God
my friend.

You will be missed by so many. I love you.
Your memory will live on every bit of nature that I enjoy seeing.
I have no words to express my sorrow or to express how much I enjoyed knowing you.
You are truly one of a kind, you loved with much gusto.
Peace and comfort to your grieving family and friends.

Beautiful tribute, as always, Melody. Thank you.

Oh, Stacey, I can't believe you are gone, either! You brightened my life so much with your humor, courage and your vibrant love of life. I am so glad that Tom and I connected with you on our trip to Florida in 2008, and that we went to the KYRU that year. I'll never forget that time together with the DG gang, and will cherish the memory of that time together - the evenings at the Cajun Campfire, late night at the Cadiz Restaurant ("Do you have any other menus?"), the beautiful drives, stopping in the middle of the road because your unerring eye saw a perfect photo....

I miss you already. I will see you again.

Love,

Bonnie

Definitely a big loss here on Earth. Definitely a big plus for Stacey that she's moved on, free of pain and now in God's arms.

All those pictures she took and shared with us are only part of her legacy. I have pictures of her in my mind and memories that are a true treasure as well.

And Paul, you are the epitome of a true and caring partner, mate, husband. The past few years of this journey sure brought forth your strength, sharing it with Stacy and keeping her going. I hope now that you, too, like Stacy, will rejuvenate, breathe a new breath of fresh air, and the pain of emptiness will one day ease.

Love ya!
Shoe

My heart is heavy this morning. I first met Stacey when she and weeds came to my jungle for a visit. What a great time we had!! Watching the birds and walking around...wadeing in the creek. I made lunch for us and Stacey was very careful to pick out all the veggies and fruit. LOL Had I served meat and potatoes she would have been a happy camper!

In the recent past, we got together in Apalachicola, Panama City and St. Marks. She wore me out with her energy in spite of her battle with cancer. The world is definately a better place for Stacey having been here. She may be absent now, but will never be absent from my heart. I love you my friend...rest in peace.
Love (((HUGS))) and puppy dog kisses,

Ginger The picture is of Stacey and weeds in St. Marks

This message was edited Mar 30, 2011 9:48 AM

It is with great sorrow that the world has lost such a great person. I will miss her...

I met Stacey the first time at the KY RU in 2004. She was the first to welcome my arrival that day and she has been a big influence on my everyday living out here in the country.

She came to visit me several times lugging that big lens camera with her, shooting pictures of everything out here when we walked. She showed me the beauty in many native plants here and encouraged me to nurture and preserve them. Whenever she came to visit she brought a special plant for me and those still live on and multiply in my gardens.

Although I have been missing her a lot and will continue to miss her, I know that she still lives on in the fox squirrels, Florida Green Eyes, Blue Curls, brown bats and everything else that she introduced me to. When I am out enjoying their beauty, she is still with me.

Her journey on earth was short, but she has left so many of us who are richer for having shared parts of that journey and who love her and will always have her in our hearts.

Molly

To Paul and family,
I'm sending my prayers and sympathy to you for the loss and empty spot I know you have. May you find peace knowing how many people are praying for you during the days ahead.

Dear Stacey, how blessed I was to meet you. You were such an inspiration to me. Your gentle spirit touched me deeply. I'm so glad you're free from pain and will think of you every time I see a butterfly. I know you're soaring on eagle's wings.
Hugs&blessings ... ~Susan, Danny and Moses

These pictures represent a get-together last fall, when Stacey wore ALL of us out:

Another:

#3

I am very very sad to hear that Stacey went home to be with the Lord yesterday.

Although I never met Stacey, I followed her journey from the beginning. What a lovely brave soul she was. And the lives she touched will be forever better for having known her... I will remember her for her kind spirit, her bravery in the face of the unknown, her sense of humor and her beautiful photography.

To her husband Paul, her rock, and the rest of her family, you are in my prayers. Although there must be comfort in the fact that Stacey is free from pain, the hole in your hearts her loss leaves must be tremendous.

Thank you melody - as always you left us with a beautiful tribute to a beautiful lady...

♥Kelly

Here is a WONDERFUL photo:

the brightest star in the heavens tonight will be stacey.

This picture made all of us laugh - Stacey imitating a fish:

Melody, thanks for beautiful tribute to our friend Stacey. She was such a special lady...will always be in my heart!
Condoleances and prayers for the family.

Adina

Hello to all of Stacey's friends. She had that wonderful quality of making
you feel special and she gathered friends where ever she went. I love her
dearly and already miss her so.

A tribute to Stacey, a very special person to many people:

God looked around his garden,
And found an empty place.
He then looked down upon the earth,
And saw your tired face.
He put his arms around you,
And lifted you to rest;
God's garden must be beautiful-He always takes the best.
He knew that you were suffering,
He knew you were in pain;
He knew you would never get well on earth again.
He saw the road was getting rough
And hills were hard to climb
So he closed your weary eyelids, and whispered,
"Peace be thine."
It broke our hearts to lose you,
But you didn't go alone,
For a part of us went with you,
The day God called you home.
~Author Unknown~

I love you Stacey.
Connie

Along with all of you, I will miss Stacey terribly.

She was the kind of person who was instantly your friend. She never met a stranger, and her personality just bubbled over from her and infected everyone around her. Her photography skills are beyond compare, but more than anything else we will miss HER.

I pray for comfort and peace for her family this day and in the hard days to come. She fought the good fight and she ran the race to the end; we can only hope the same can be said of us some day.

Connie...Now I have the warm fuzzies...what a great poem.

I went to the thread I posted in General Discussion and Chat when first I met Stacey and you. Can't believe it was the end of May,2004...seems like only yesterday. We had FUN didn't we?

Connie and Ginger, Stacey always made sure whomever she was with had fun!

Connie, that poem is an awesome tribute to our precious angel!

I hope everyone, who personally knew Stacey, who had shared her hugs and love, can wrap their hearts around the genuine love she felt for EACH of you!

Connie, she wouldn't have made it through her chemo without you 'being there' - she told me so, many times.

Ginger, you both shared a love of plants and also knowledge of medicine - for those connections, you were precious to Stacey.

Words cannot begin to express how she felt about Karen - Karen was Stacey's 'lean-on' gal in so many, many ways - what you two shared and the love you had for each other is something we all wish we had!

Whenever she and I talked, she always expounded on how she felt about each of you - it was always positive and filled with love - as the Statler Brothers song says, Stacey 'went to her grave loving you'!

I am through crying for the moment and felt I wanted to come back and say that Stacey had many, many special relationships, and I did not intend to slight anyone - I mentioned those friendships I was very familiar with.

Stacey fondly mentioned her meetings with other DG'ers in all our conversations, but the ones I mentioned are people I actually have met and hugged and shared time with, and have NO DOUBT about her love for these ladies (and all of you).

None of us have any doubts that Stacey loved all of us.
Her heart was big enough to fit everyone inside of it.

She made an impact on everyone she met or touched, whether it was in real-life or on line.
I'm proud to have been her friend.

This is my 3rd attempt to post here...the first one got lost in cyberspace...the 2nd was after reading Connie's poem and tears were flowing...Thanks for the lovely poem, Connie.

Stacey was very special,...as is Paul...my heartfelt sympathy to Paul, her son and all her family.

We have lost so many dear friends here on DG...but they have gone to the Heavenly Garden, and I hope they are having fun at a big Round Up.

Stacey was the first person on DG to help me to post a picture...I ended up having to email it to her and let her post it for me!!! We had planned to meet each other in Ozello, FL....near Homosassa...and take pictures of the area wildlife.

We will miss you very much, Friend...but we know you are now pain free and we will remember you and keep you in our hearts.

Love & Hugs Jo

Connie, the poem is so touching and beautiful! I have tears in my eyes too ! I know Stacey loves it.

Adina

Stacey accomplished more, and touched more people, during the years of her illness than most folks do in a lifetime of health.

Miss you, sweetie.

Love,
Norma


This message was edited Mar 31, 2011 2:45 PM

Stacey's memorial can be found here:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sptimes/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=149844472

Stacey brightened the lives of everyone she met. She had a wonderful sense of humor, the gift of love and genuine concern for people, and had one of the biggest hearts I have ever known. Her energy and ability to live life to the fullest even thru her illness was inspirational and so sweet.

I love her and miss her, and I will always carry her in my heart.

I am so distressed to learn of Stacey's passing. My thoughts and prayers go out to her many friends and family. When my Dad died, she was there to console me. Such a lovely lady.
Connie, I can't find better words, and just kicked the kids out of my room 'cause the poem made me cry. Well done, well said, and deeply felt words that so sweetly describe such a good soul.
Melody, so nicely stated. Thanks for letting us know.
I'm certain that Her Star is shining brightly and I hope she's swapping tall tales with my Dad. : - )
Walk In Beauty~
SingingWolf

I can't hardly believe what I'm reading...Stacey was such a good person; she loved my granddaughter at the KYRU 2004 and gave her a doll; took some great pictures of her. Oh I'm just at a loss for words except to say that she an inspiration to so many; her courage beyond compare. Ride well on the wings of the angel Stacey; we'll see you again someday.

Kathy

I just found this thread and was saddened to hear of Stacey's passing. Although I never met Stacey, her courage and determination were an inspiration. Her spirit will remain with those of us whose lives she touched. May God's love surround those left behind to mourn her.

I have not checked the prayer section in awhile. I do pray everyday and ask god to heal
all the people asking for prayers on Dave's Garden. I am so sorry Stacy passed, pretty
surprised actually. Though I only know of her through this thread when she found out
she had cancer, I shed tears for her.

Linda

I am so very sorry i missed this.. prayers for all her family and friends. she will always be with everyone in their hearts.

She is represented in my garden, my small space for prayer and meditation. I learned so much from her! May she rest now in the real garden of heaven.

This lady was a true lesson in courage, dignity and love....you will be missed Stacy.

"eyes"

I am so glad that, in 2008, when my husband and I were heading for the Tampa area, Jo (KayJones) and several others said, "Bonnie, you have to get together with Stacey!". Yeah, you were right, I did have to get together with her! One of the best things I ever did. Wouldn't have missed it for the world. That was in April of that year, and later that summer, when we got together at the KYRU, it was just another fantastic time, and that was when we got to meet Paul. They were two halves of the same soul. Stacey you are always remembered. Tom and I talk about you often. The next trip to Tampa won't be quite so much fun. We were so looking forward to seeing you again. Love and hugs.

Girl, I love you and miss you desperately!

Stacey's sister Janet posted some sad news on Facebook. Paul's been diagnosed with stage IV melanoma and is beyond treatment. It's heartbreaking, especially knowing how good a guy he is and how tenderly he cared for Stacey. He has no health insurance. He's trying to raise money to fly his sister to Florida so they can drive him back up to Oklahoma to be with family. He wants to stop and visit with friends along the way.

Well, that news is the PITS!

Paul is such a great guy, surely we all can help even if it's just a few bucks each.

Done.