February 11, 1993 - May 9, 2012
On May 9th, 2012, the world lost Emily Benatar to bacterial meningitis*. Her life is a reminder to live every moment fully with a sense of humor and to be kind to one another.
This website is a place for those who are missing Emily to be able to hear her voice and see her being her funny self, and see some of the many amazing things she created. It's also a place to share the Honoring Emily projects we do each year.
*Meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection that can affect the blood (sepsis) or the lining of the brain and spinal cord (bacterial meningitis).
The story behind this year’s project starts on a weekend trip that Maya and some friends took to the Oregon coast. At a small shop on their way back to Portland, they came across a book with step-by-step instructions for making watercolor paintings of flowers. Maya thought, “This is the kind of book Emily would make.”
Emily used to make “how to” booklets for things like make-up and beading, and when Maya was little Emily had made her a booklet called “Maya’s Cool Collection of Quick & Easy Crafts” with ideas and instructions for things that Maya could do instead of watching TV if she were ever bored. Maya remembers Emily being very intent on sharing her love of art and making it approachable and accessible for people who aren’t naturally good artists. And she knew it was really helpful for people to have a starting point.
