Help Heather Tolson, Widow of Hamilton Tolson

Having suffered a major cardiac arrest 43 hours earlier at his home, at 4:13 AM PDT on August 19th, 2023, Hamilton Duval Tolson passed away at Northern Nevada Medical Center in Reno, NV, just six days before what would have been his 44th birthday. He and his loving wife, Heather, along with their adorable puppy, Toby, were enjoying a perfectly normal morning together when he suddenly collapsed at the bottom of the stairs and stopped breathing. Heather alerted 911 immediately and began struggling to revive him, but by the time the ambulance arrived and resuscitated him, his brain had already gone approximately 10 minutes without any oxygen. Heather spent the next two days and nights glued to her husband’s side. She already had to make the incredibly difficult decision to forego any artificial life-prolonging assistance – concordant with Hamilton’s own wishes in the event he were to experience brain death – but the rest of Hamilton’s vital organs remained extraordinarily strong. He was able to continue breathing for almost two days after oxygen tubes were removed, which was long enough for his mother to complete a long journey from Houston. With both of them there at his side, along with some of their dearest friends and family, Hamilton was at long last ready to make his transition onward. As he drew his final breath he exhibited a smile of seeming contentment and peacefulness. Hamilton and Heather, known by all their friends simply as “H & H,” were always inseparable, immaculately stylish, and inspiring to all who knew them as a couple whose love was undeniable, unshakeable, and eternal. Their mantra together was “contra mundum”: “you and me against the world.” Hamilton’s infectious passion for music, philosophy, architecture, literature, art, video games, comics, and cinema will be sorely missed, but his deepest and most enduring love was always reserved for his doting wife, Heather. Put simply, they were everything to each other – best friends, confidants, and star-crossed lovers. Neither of them could have envisioned something this catastrophic ever really happening to one of them. By all accounts Hamilton seemed perfectly healthy, managing to run several miles a day in addition to working, cooking fabulous gourmet meals, playing and cuddling with Toby, and rapturously dancing with Heather at their favorite local nightclubs. His sudden and shocking passing has left Heather with an incomprehensible challenge: somehow carrying on with life in the absence of her soulmate, her sweetest friend, and her guiding light, the only real constant in her life for almost 20 years. Perhaps the one saving grace is that both Hamilton and Heather are loved by so very many people in this world. It is simply impossible to not fall in love with these two beautiful souls, as they have never been anything but positive, uplifting, generous, and compassionate to all who have encountered them. Now the time has come for all of us to be as positive, uplifting, generous, and compassionate as we can possibly be towards Heather. No one in the throes of such an unthinkable experience should ever need to worry about finances. PLEASE contribute whatever you can to help her navigate through this unimaginably difficult period, to be able to stay in the home she shared with her husband, to avoid returning to her work prematurely, and to afford the best professional therapy available to her. Flowers and other objects of affection are always appreciated, but direct financial assistance is by far the most impactful way in which you can help Heather in this moment. Any amount is helpful, so please do what you can and know that Heather and Hamilton love you all! (If you would like to make a donation through any other medium, or if you have any questions or complications with donating, please contact Summer Lawson, Christina "Ernie” Underwood, or Sonseri Brower.)