A wonderful friend was lost in a tragic accident over the weekend. She was a well known Burlesque Dancer and journalist, but I knew a side of her that was less well known. I met her several years ago at a fundraiser for an animal rescue organization. When I started the Eating the Food facebook group, I asked her to help me moderate it, and she was a supportive, wise and inspirational presence there, cheering all of us on, celebrating our successes, and providing comic relief when things got tough. She helped a lot of women change the way they think about their bodies, and served as such a powerful role model of self respect and badassery. She will be sorely missed. I asked the group to share some of her favorite quotes, paired with pictures I’ve linked from her public facebook page. This is how we will remember her.
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Photo by Mike Maginot – click through to see original source
www.facebook.com/mikemaginotphotographer
Just from her pics, she seemed to be a vibrant and wonderful person. I’m so sorry for your loss, Kaleo.
What a fitting tribute to a Shining Light. Rest easy Sparkly, we got this now. xo deb xo
She was a bad ass, was loved by many and will be missed by more. What a loss to the world.
She was such a beautiful soul to me! You did an awesome job representing her! I won’t forget her. That’s saying something about someone I only knew for a couple months.
This is a great tribute, thanks Amber.
This is an amazing tribute, I love her so very much!!!!
very cool tribute for a very cool lady. missed and loved, that girl.
Thank you for this. She was a dear friend, and an amazing woman.
What a beautiful, inspiring woman. I wish I had known her. Thank you for sharing her words!
She was an endless inspiration to me, someone I was lucky enough to know from her early BQ days….I delighted in the immense heart and talent she brought to our family of wild hearts. Love each other as hard as you can!
She was an inspiration to me, and many others! Her badassery was shadowed only by her quick wit and intelligence. I was proud to be her friend.
So inspiring and glowing and amazing. She will be missed.
Before she moved from Detroit, she was supposed to work the Maxim superbowl party, then got dismissed for not having the right body type. She wrote a scathing article about it that truly catches her great sense of humor. I’ll link it here: http://www2.metrotimes.com/culture/story.asp?id=8853
My God…that article…just…brilliant.
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Thank you, Amber. RIP, Sparkly; you’ve definitely left the world a little brighter.
This is a lovely tribute. One request – could you edit so that her name shows up right? Her stage name was “Sparkly Devil.” “Deville” was just because Facebook had stupid naming rules.
Yeah, I went back and forth with that and am still conflicted. We knew her as Sparkly Deville in our little community. She never made the distinction with us. So ultimately that’s why I spelled it that way, but I hear you and will give it more thought.
I only knew her a short time, and she made a real impression as a vibrant and thoughtful person.
( Uh, just one note: the “we don’t need a new beauty standard” was Sparkly quoting the final paragraph from “fit and Feminist” while sharing the link, I don’t think she’d have wanted us to credit the quote to her. http://fitandfeminist.wordpress.com/2013/05/21/what-happens-when-the-pursuits-of-skinny-and-strong-collide/ )
Thanks Melkor.
She was a friend of friends and I don’t think I ever met her, but I know how much she will be missed. Thanks for letting me see a little bit of who she was.
Ladies, be assured that Sparkly will live on in each & every one of you…when you need her heart…..just ask….when you need her strength & joy, bet you’ll break out laughing. We are all one and she’s not gone. I am so sorry for all of your hurting.
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Another awesome female:
I am so sorry to hear this. I remember just knowing her from the group and seeing her facebook page that I wish that I knew her in person.