Having now heard from so many people who knew and loved Estelle, read the comments posted on this site, attended her funeral, and shed my tears, the right words are still so difficult to express because they are so inadequate. But it must be done to honour her, and to share my experience of her with others who also were touched by her short life.
Estelle would have been shocked to realise the impact and influence she had been in so many lives. It will be her testimony for many years, living in the hearts and minds of so many.
And I am no exception, it has made me think deeply about myself, how I am and how I can change/improve as a human.
A short while ago, a wise Maori gentleman shared with me the now haunting words “He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata! He tangata! He tangata!”
What is the most important thing in the world? It is people! It is people! It is people!
That reality has hit home with so many of us as an aftermath of the Christchurch tragedy.
But the more relevant observation for me is that while Estelle may not have known these words, she was the living embodiment of this principle.
She simply lit up peoples lives. When she entered a room, her magnificent, sincere, winning smile just won people over, and it was so natural. Estelle never sought to be the centre of attention, but she was no wallflower. Her presence in any group was peaceful, powerful and fun loving. . Estelle just being Estelle won hearts all over the world.
She got so much joy out of the simple things in life; a shared conversation, a laugh, watching a young child. This is so evident from the photos I have seen. There is one of her as a child with a magnificent scowl on her face and even that makes people laugh. I am sure I am right in saying that in all of the others I have seen the smile is present, and it is always in the eyes, so genuine.
Estelle had a huge influence on my family, and it will live on.
Thank you is so inadequate but sincerely expressed is still appropriate.
Estelle Marie Cullen, a wonderful gift to us all, a tragic loss.
Rest in peace Estelle, and keep smiling just as we will always remember you.
Love – Mike Pinkney
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
From Chris White
So many thoughts go through my mind when thinking about Estelle. Such a tragic halt to what was an incredible person and her journey. In reading her e-mails over the last year it seemed as though it was all coming together for her. I was proud to have her as a friend.
Chris
- The first e-mail on my birthday every year (perhaps b/c we shared the same b/day, but still great to receive)
- Annual CD’s from the EMC, even though she claimed how out of the loop she was re: kiwi music, seen as how hard it was to keep up with it all!
- Her love of Arial font
- Reminding me to avoid the media doom & gloom during the GFC
- The 19 yr. old who took a greyhound bus from LA to Dallas
- Working at Cantina Laredo, valeting at the Blarney Stone, temping for Ntelicor. Through all of it she started life lasting friendships and touched everyone with her personality
- Her love of ‘motivational successories’
- Her visits through Dallas, and reminding me that the South island was the ‘bestest place’ in the world
- Never understanding why she loved the state fair of Texas
- Sharing stories about her ‘builder boy’ and how she’d landed a good one
- An innate ability to laugh at herself, and her ridiculously funny stories
- Her outlook on life and the smile that came with it
Chris
Monday, 14 March 2011
From Anne Landeman
Anne Landeman
From Holly Byers
On a professional level Estelle worked at Street Legal Shoes part time for around 5 years working in the Dunedin store and then when she moved to Chch helped out up there when she was needed on top of her full time job. She was a staff member that you would want all your staff to be, if you could do a model of the perfect employee it would be Estelle, she made a impact on all those she met and came into contact with. She had a natural warmth, was always happy, and was so much fun to work alongside with. She is going to be so sadly missed by all those who worked with her.
On a personal level I met Estelle through work at Street Legal Shoes and became good friends when she was living in Dunedin, she was the most wonderful person, I wish I had stayed in contact with her more over the last couple of years but I know that if I had met up with her again it would have been like no time had gone by at all. I am going to miss her, she was a strong, independent, loving, beautiful women who had the most wicked sense of humour and very quick witted we had so many laughs. This blog just shows how much she was loved and how much she touched everyone she met. She looks like she was so happy and its so nice that she had met the one but so sad her life was cut short we have lost aaa amazing woman. Long live the memories. Going to miss you Stelly xoxoxoxoxoxoxxo
Holly Byers
On a personal level I met Estelle through work at Street Legal Shoes and became good friends when she was living in Dunedin, she was the most wonderful person, I wish I had stayed in contact with her more over the last couple of years but I know that if I had met up with her again it would have been like no time had gone by at all. I am going to miss her, she was a strong, independent, loving, beautiful women who had the most wicked sense of humour and very quick witted we had so many laughs. This blog just shows how much she was loved and how much she touched everyone she met. She looks like she was so happy and its so nice that she had met the one but so sad her life was cut short we have lost aaa amazing woman. Long live the memories. Going to miss you Stelly xoxoxoxoxoxoxxo
Holly Byers
From Justin Sims
My name is Justin Sims and I am still in disbelief at the tragic loss of Estelle.
As part of the Sims family, I spent a large part of my childhood growing up with children from the Cullen, Pinkney and Bradley Families. This mainly occurred when we travelled to Auckland for school holiday fun and good times with these families or they visited us at our rural property in Whangarei.
For ‘country boys’ like my Brother Eugene and I, there was always anticipation at visiting the ‘Big Smoke’ and although I did not appreciate it at the time, looking back now the ‘city kids’ were equally enthusiastic about visiting us ‘up North’ feeding animals, getting into outdoor mischief and trips to the beach.
I think I was the oldest and Estelle the youngest (I can even remember her as a small baby!) of us and have very fond memories of these holidays and special times spent together over many years with Estelle and her sisters, Hayley and Melissa – the Cullen family were really good fun to be with as we grew up and the Sims, Cullen, Pinkney and Bradley kids really got on so very well it almost felt like we were related at times.
Although I have not had so much contact with Estelle in recent years, I had an opportunity to catch up with her last year which was a very pleasant surprise.
What was not a surprise to me was to find the positive, successful and wonderful young woman Estelle had matured into in the few years since I had seen her last. I really enjoyed seeing Estelle again and felt proud to know her as a friend, as I am sure most who came into contact with her will have.
I can only imagine the pain and sense of loss that Jocelyn, Lloyd, Melissa, Hayley and the Cullen family and friends must be going through – I am sorry that I am unable to attend the funeral and will be thinking of you all on Wednesday.
The only words that I hope can offer you some comfort is to say that we have all been touched by Estelle, a very special lady - your daughter, sister, friend or colleague. Be proud of Estelle, cherish the special memories you hold and celebrate the much too brief time we had with her in our lives.
With sincerest sympathy
Justin Sims 16 March 2011
As part of the Sims family, I spent a large part of my childhood growing up with children from the Cullen, Pinkney and Bradley Families. This mainly occurred when we travelled to Auckland for school holiday fun and good times with these families or they visited us at our rural property in Whangarei.
For ‘country boys’ like my Brother Eugene and I, there was always anticipation at visiting the ‘Big Smoke’ and although I did not appreciate it at the time, looking back now the ‘city kids’ were equally enthusiastic about visiting us ‘up North’ feeding animals, getting into outdoor mischief and trips to the beach.
I think I was the oldest and Estelle the youngest (I can even remember her as a small baby!) of us and have very fond memories of these holidays and special times spent together over many years with Estelle and her sisters, Hayley and Melissa – the Cullen family were really good fun to be with as we grew up and the Sims, Cullen, Pinkney and Bradley kids really got on so very well it almost felt like we were related at times.
Although I have not had so much contact with Estelle in recent years, I had an opportunity to catch up with her last year which was a very pleasant surprise.
What was not a surprise to me was to find the positive, successful and wonderful young woman Estelle had matured into in the few years since I had seen her last. I really enjoyed seeing Estelle again and felt proud to know her as a friend, as I am sure most who came into contact with her will have.
I can only imagine the pain and sense of loss that Jocelyn, Lloyd, Melissa, Hayley and the Cullen family and friends must be going through – I am sorry that I am unable to attend the funeral and will be thinking of you all on Wednesday.
The only words that I hope can offer you some comfort is to say that we have all been touched by Estelle, a very special lady - your daughter, sister, friend or colleague. Be proud of Estelle, cherish the special memories you hold and celebrate the much too brief time we had with her in our lives.
With sincerest sympathy
Justin Sims 16 March 2011
From Anne Birkinshaw
I hadn’t seen Estelle for quite a while, since Melissa and Justin’s wedding, but I remember her very clearly from my early days in NZ back in 1995. Jocelyn, Melissa and Estelle were kind enough to let me stay with them when I first arrived here and Estelle and I got on really well, even though she was still at school and a number of years younger than me. She had such an awesome and witty sense of humour and a maturity beyond her years even then. My favourite memory is of her getting ready for prom in the silver dress and that big hair!!!
I can see from what people have written over the past few weeks and photos that have been posted that she went on to become a beautiful, successful and much loved young woman.
I know you will all miss her like mad and I'm so sorry for your loss, but in some way she will always be with you - treasure your memories and I hope in time that you can smile as you remember her.
Anne xx
I can see from what people have written over the past few weeks and photos that have been posted that she went on to become a beautiful, successful and much loved young woman.
I know you will all miss her like mad and I'm so sorry for your loss, but in some way she will always be with you - treasure your memories and I hope in time that you can smile as you remember her.
Anne xx
From Margo & Paul Kennedy
Wow! Lots of fond memories of Estelle!! Wasn’t Towel just a quirky and unique, but cool chick.
Her well known talent of identifying perfumes was kinda freaky. Early on I was convinced she only knew the names of the perfumes I wore, however I stood corrected many times when she showed off her 6th sense when out in a group.
Once we ventured to a one day international at the mighty house of pain – found a primo spot on the terrace, and as we settled in for the day I will never forget Towel unpacking her bag as though she was at the beach for the afternoon, with all her gossip magazines. I’m sure she didn’t see a ball bowled that day, or even know what was going on. But she had fun!!
When Towel worked in Dunedin, she worked in insurance on Princes St and always had her finger on the pulse as her office was literally on the street front - nobody got past without being noticed.
I also remember her working (and shopping) at Street Legal shoes, feeding her appetite for shoes. She always seemed to find time for a gossip between customers.
She loved Carla’s bulldog ‘Roger’, which in my mind kind of explains why her favourite All Black at the time was Anton Oliver!!? I can still hear Towel now defending Anton, as the rest of us struggled to see his finer points?
In more recent times there was a ‘gang’ of us that ventured to Phuket for Carla and Cory’s wedding. I am thankful now of that time as apart from being an incredible ‘carefree’ week, it now has much greater significance with the memories that this trip installed. It is with sadness that Towel will not be part of any future ventures.
For an amazing person with an incredibly unique, bubbly, generous, outgoing perspective on life you will be truly missed. We were blessed to know you.
Margo & PK xxox
Her well known talent of identifying perfumes was kinda freaky. Early on I was convinced she only knew the names of the perfumes I wore, however I stood corrected many times when she showed off her 6th sense when out in a group.
Once we ventured to a one day international at the mighty house of pain – found a primo spot on the terrace, and as we settled in for the day I will never forget Towel unpacking her bag as though she was at the beach for the afternoon, with all her gossip magazines. I’m sure she didn’t see a ball bowled that day, or even know what was going on. But she had fun!!
When Towel worked in Dunedin, she worked in insurance on Princes St and always had her finger on the pulse as her office was literally on the street front - nobody got past without being noticed.
I also remember her working (and shopping) at Street Legal shoes, feeding her appetite for shoes. She always seemed to find time for a gossip between customers.
She loved Carla’s bulldog ‘Roger’, which in my mind kind of explains why her favourite All Black at the time was Anton Oliver!!? I can still hear Towel now defending Anton, as the rest of us struggled to see his finer points?
In more recent times there was a ‘gang’ of us that ventured to Phuket for Carla and Cory’s wedding. I am thankful now of that time as apart from being an incredible ‘carefree’ week, it now has much greater significance with the memories that this trip installed. It is with sadness that Towel will not be part of any future ventures.
For an amazing person with an incredibly unique, bubbly, generous, outgoing perspective on life you will be truly missed. We were blessed to know you.
Margo & PK xxox
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