There are no words to express how much we miss you, Graeme Bousada. Your absence is deeply felt in every corner of our lives. In this blog post I want to focus on your meaningful impact on New Stone Age Cabochons and share your Obituary. Without you this business would not be what it is today. Your hard work and consistency pushed us from a small Instagram seller to one of the largest sellers on Instagram.
You made people feel safe and secure because you were friendly and nonjudgemental but also with strong boundaries and smart. I remember Graeme was really cute and would respond to all the Instagram messages pretending to me, not some big hair dude with funny hair (I am a petite woman with flat hair lol). He was friendly and goofy and he also knew when to be serious use his skills to conquer any task. He was the ultimate DIY guy and did all of our book keeping, built work tables, moved things on a skateboard, created our logo, built our website, figured out various systems, and had a photographic memory for pricing stones. He figured things out and rarely hired because he would watch a quick youtube "how to" video. He was excellent and being around him meant you had to work harder to keep up. Thank you for all your hard work Graeme, we will always remember you and honour you.
Graeme Bousada Obituary
BOUSADA, Graeme Willmot August 11, 1989 - June 27, 2022 On the day our Graeme died, his garden blossomed with berries and pink poppies. Our world broke open. He died suddenly while doing repairs to his home in Victoria. Among those who mourn him are his wife Rose Prieto, his son Ira, his brothers Ben and Jonas, and his parents Margo Willmot and Bill Bousada. Since then, his one-year-old son Ira has eaten his weight in snap peas and raspberries-the love of his father continues to nourish and sustain him through the unbelievable loss we all feel. Ira, in turn, has been comforting the family with the same nurturing empathy and joy as his father. Graeme's reach in this community is like wildflower seeds airborne on a strong wind: blueprints for a daily becoming, radical and sweeping, earnest and curious like his beautiful hazel eyes. He was a lifelong learner and we all admired him. Each memory has become a gift: a beautiful childhood in Ottawa, the years of budding curiosity at Pearson College, learning alongside the Cortes farming community, Salish sea adventures and activism, epic sweaty concerts and all-night jams, co-creating a small business with his wife, his spirited creativity and generosity with food, the sacred experience of becoming a father, and so much more. Graeme was authentically and unapologetically himself. As we navigate this tragedy, we embrace the depth and breadth of this loss together in community. The seasons to come will bring new grief, but new inspiration, too. The poppies will drop their petals. The raspberries will sigh asleep. But the soil will be forever changed, just as we all are changed by the ingenuity, artistry, and humour of Graeme's unique spark. The celebration of life will take place on Friday, July 8th, 2022. Please come if you knew Graeme and contact the friends and family for the location.
