Erika E. Boehnke Memorial Fund

Erika Elizabeth Boehnke was born on February 2, 1986. The Groundhog that year didn't see his shadow, and she was born in a perpetual Spring. She lived a life in bloom. Erika was bright and effortless. She exuded a kindness that inspired others. She explored the world with genuine curiosity. Her whole face crinkled when she laughed. It was infectious, and at times overwhelming. She was a loud and bolstering whirlwind. She was a botanist, a crafter of fine pinatas, and a walking encyclopedia of Latin plant names. Always first into cold, cold waters. A consistently improving boomerang toss pleading, 'come back.' A sister, a daughter, a wife, a friend.

Erika was an ardent lover of plants. Her enthusiasm for the world and work of botany emboldened a more hopeful future. To grieve her is to grieve also the loss of that hopefulness; of that potential. The change she would create, the things she would grow, and the impact she would have.

Erika's family has set up a memorial fund in her honor to encourage a legacy: of children with their hands in the dirt, watching seedlings sprout and writhe upward.

Her absence is irreparable. We will miss her every day, in every crashing wave, in every weird bird, in every hopeful wildflower.