Drusilla Eden Vaughan

Drusilla Eden Vaughan

b. March 16th, 1954 - d. March 21st, 2018

It is impossible to describe Dru in the few paragraphs, but we know we need to try.

To those who were casually acquainted with Dru, she would have appeared polite, usually very kind and perhaps a little hard to get to know.

For those fortunate to be more closely associated, her creativity, spirituality, intellect and keen interest in you would be obvious.

For the relatively few who were blessed to be a very close friend, the vibrancy of Dru’s spirit would emerge in powerful and delightful ways. For these lucky ones, that same creativity, intellect and faith shined into the shadows of their lives bringing much love, wisdom and humble power in just the right way at just the right time.

For her husband Peter and her three adult children, Julia, Laura and Tulley, massive parts of our universe revolved around Dru’s completely unbridled, turbo-charged, loving, tender & sweet, opinionated & bossy, at times infuriating, deeply loyal “damn the torpedoes” investment in every aspect of our lives.

Each of us will be stumbling around in the dark for some time, trying to figure out another reason for living well, given our hero and inspiration is gone. However, we can already hear her voice, still a whisper, and eventually it will ramp up to a shout. “Get your ass out of bed and go love those around you as if this is your last day alive, make a difference in the world with your God-given capacities, and have an absolute riot doing so! … Go! Now! … Hey, I mean it!!”

Dru was given the gift of life by a single mother in traumatic circumstances. She was adopted at 10 days to Melvin and Phyllis Julson, making a family of five along with siblings Monica and Mark. Tragically Phyllis died from a very aggressive cancer when Dru was 3, Mark 6, and Monica almost 8 years old. Mel’s remarriage to Virginia Farmer two years later led to another chapter of family adventure that took the family to Hawaii (Mel’s MBA), Edmonton and eventually settling in North Vancouver.

Dru was a high performance athlete throughout her childhood and early 20’s (skating, track & field, skiing) until mononucleosis put her to bed for a year.  Gone were her days as an athlete, although she never lost her physical grace, her eye-popping go-go dancer talents and her competitive spirit. This intensity and drive was equally expressed as a very connected & sensuous spouse, intuitive & brave parent, affirming & enjoying friend and crazy-good flamboyant & spiritual artist.

Her fifth passion, beautifully integrated with marriage, parenting, friendship and art, was Dru’s faith in the God of the impossible and the power of prayer. Right until her last breath, she absolutely knew that her dear Jesus could heal her with a touch. She also knew that if she was taken before any of us wished, that her God would greet her with the same enduring love that he would generously spill over to her loved ones who remained.

Now she knows eternal peace and the complete presence of Jesus that she always longed for.  She waits for her loved ones just ahead in the road, where there is a particular bend to it, where light streams down and you know she is just there, full of joy.

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