Joanna Lyra Maltas

July 29, 2020:  Our beloved friend, niece and daughter, Joanna Maltas died by suicide after a courageous struggle with a well hidden but destabilizing and painful mental illness and depression. In spite of all this, she inspired us with her creativity, commitment to living lightly on earth, adventurous spirit, and range of talent from farming to aerial silks to ceramics to drawings to running a chainsaw to being a masseuse and was a best friend to many. Her smile and laughter scattered light everywhere. Her friends and family will remember her always as a treasure beyond compare. Dear friends and members of the community, please, sit with this!...    It was painfully real the depth and length of suffering that Joanna, and others experience due to mental illness. It is similar to an aggressive cancer, but must be born alone, because our society mostly ignores this issue. As her legacy the family has created a fundraising effort to support her ideals to reduce plastic consumption and waste; donation may be made in her name to :Plastic Pollution Coalition. Go to their online site and click on Donate. There you may donate in honor of Joanna Maltas. Dear Joanna we love and honor you forever. Peace and healing be with you on your path into the spirit. Goodbye for now. Thanks for blessing us with your presence: mama, dad, bro, aunties and uncles, friends.

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