For those who could not join the many who did attend Bridget’s Celebration of Life in Boulder 15 August 2014, I recorded the event (despite the poor room acoustics!)::
(01:17:01, stereo audio, 184 mb)
David Kaplan: Greeting
Stories:
Geraldine Klauber and Katie Klauber Ross
Polly Duke
Ginger Perry
Cassie Kircher
Don Eron
The True Believers: “Mission in the Rain”
Effie Siebold
Mary Claire Mulligan and Kathy McGuire
Eliot and Nora Meade
Bridget passes. Memories of many evening dinners all the way back to the 1528 Mapleton house days of the 1980s. Her subtle but distinctive Baltimore accent always made me happy inside as it recalled my own Maryland childhood. Just last year (after her diagnosis) I had the pleasure of seeing her ‘on the job’ at the Jeffco Courthouse, an experience that underscored what a powerful, dedicated, and compassionate attorney she was for so many people. Most of our encounters were over lively dinners at the 1719 Mapleton house, where, surrounded by her family and friends, she was a warm presence — her exterior revealing her interior: all of beauty and of direct be-ing, as we ensemble shared the passing moments.
She was a generous contributor to my recent Kickstarter campaign this past spring, but I found it difficult to select a print from my archive to give to her, knowing how strong-minded she was. It was an intimidating situation for an artist who flinches at any small rejection. It took a long time until, as I was looking through my archive, a single image leapt out, resonating with my memory of her that day in the courthouse, looking absolutely gorgeous in a brilliant red dress. In the beautiful complexity of life, Bridget stood out: this was the print for her:
Memories are the trace of energy from our surroundings that are impressed (into) the embodied self. Other beings, as powerful configurations of energy, share with us their energy that then passes through our selves, leaving us altered, different than we once were. These embodied traces persist in time, but, as with all life and being, are transitory. They exist as change: we are changed by each other through our encounters. Bridget changed the world and all of us in her every action, and by her lively presence. I am eternally grateful for having been changed by her.
[ed: I would invite anyone who knew Bridget to post their remembrances here in the comment space at the end of this entry.]
EJ, her husband of 27 years writes:
Bridget Ann Klauber, a tireless advocate for the rights of the underprivileged, died at her home in Boulder, Colorado on August 2. She was born December 13, 1957 in Baltimore, Maryland. She graduated from The Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore and Georgetown University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. In 1982 Bridget traveled/moved to Colorado to study creative writing with poet Ed Dorn and received a Master’s Degree in English at the University of Colorado, where she taught writing after graduation. In 1992 she received her Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado. She retained her poet’s idealism and became a public defender and vigilant criminal defense attorney. A human rights advocate, she tirelessly campaigned as a voice for the underprivileged in and outside the courtroom and fought to end the death penalty in Colorado. From 1993 through 2010, Bridget was a Colorado State Public Defender, working the last five years as head of the Golden Regional Office, covering Jefferson and Gilpin Counties. As office head, she continued to manage her trial and caseload while relishing the opportunity to mentor the office’s younger attorneys.
After retiring from the Public Defender’s Office, she practiced as a private criminal defense lawyer doing legislative and policy work for the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar (CCDB) and serving as the interim director of the CCDB in the fall of 2013. She was a true progressive with the belief that we each have the capability to better our world. She saw through bullshit and held Holden Caulfield as the great American hero. Bridget was a woman with a tough shell and little vulnerability, but her compassion ran deep. She was a lifelong advocate for animal rights, volunteering with PETA and serving as a board member of the Boulder Humane Society. Additionally, she volunteered at Bridge House, an emergency homeless shelter organization in Boulder.
However, Bridget’s proudest roles were as the mother of her two wonderful daughters, Eliot Meade and Nora Meade, and as the wife and loving partner of E.J. Meade for 27 years. Her life was also greatly enriched by her many friendships. She and her family are grateful for all the help and support they received from their community during her illness. In addition to her husband and daughters, Bridget is survived by her parents, Joan Ferris and Gerald Klauber of Baltimore, and her sisters, Carrie Klauber of Boulder, Geraldine Klauber of Baltimore, and Katie Klauber Ross of Erie, CO.
Donations may be made in her name to the CCDB Raptor Fund, 955 Bannock Street, Suite 200, Denver, CO 80204; Bridge House, P.O. Box 626, Boulder, CO 80306; or Tru Community Care (formerly Boulder County Hospice), 2594 Trailridge Drive East, Lafayette, CO 80026. A celebration of Bridget’s life will be held at Rembrandt Yard, 1301 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO on August 15th at 4pm.