Oliver Merivee's Memorial Funding
Donation protected
In the early morning hours of December 25th, Oliver Merivee, founder of the Fungi Academy and a light in the mycological, psychedelic, and Lake Atitlan community, died suddenly and tragically.
Oliver passed away in the Lake he held so close to his heart and soul, falling from a cliff and hitting his head on a rock before descending into the Lake’s unfathomable depths and entering the afterlife.
Oliver was a brother, lover, healer, leader, visionary, and a source of inspiration to countless people. His story started from very humble beginnings in Estonia and continued in its modest way until only just recently.
Oliver never graduated high school and had almost nothing to his name yet found the courage within himself to travel the world once he turned 18, begging for food and water on the streets of Mexico when he hit hard times.
His love for Sacred Mushrooms was known to many, and he credited their healing power in helping him become a more empathetic, caring, generous human being and freeing himself from tobacco addiction. It was this deeply held belief in Sacred Mushrooms’ healing powers and their ability to change the world that led to the creation of the Fungi Academy.
When Oliver’s world-spanning journey landed him on the shores of Lake Atitlan, he felt called to settle there and began sharing the magic of mushrooms with as many people as he could. He, along with close friends Tannel and Silvan, began to create a space where people could feel welcome, safe, and supported in their own healing.
Set atop a hillside overlooking San Marcos la Laguna, the Fungi Academy, Oliver’s life work and a project that changed so many lives for the better, was born.
Now, it is on us to continue Oliver’s legacy and push the Fungi Academy phenomenon forward into a new age without ever forgetting the man and ethos behind it.
We’re all devastated by Oliver's loss and are utterly unprepared for the high cost of a funeral service, especially since in Guatemala, the system to retrieve a body is tedious, slow, and expensive.
The Fungi Academy was also under Oliver’s name, so there are legal entanglements that currently prevent us from being able to access and pay for the services using the school’s few funds.
Oliver was an exceedingly generous soul, always sharing any resources he had with the less fortunate.
When the coronavirus descended onto Guatemala this Spring, he ran a fundraiser for the local Mayan community so they could afford the extreme price increases for basic staples like corn. When a tragic landslide hit San Marcos this summer, he continued this mission, providing those who’d lost their home with food and sweets.
Oliver deserves a memorial and we feel it’s our duty to provide one in proportion to the grand man he was. We also feel, given his sudden passing, that he needs a chance to say goodbye to his family.
As such, we’re currently asking for donations to help cover the cost of Oliver’s memorial, including the expense of retrieving and cremating the body. We’re also seeking donations to help fund the cost of bringing Oliver’s Estonian family to the Lake to attend the memorial, which we estimate will be held some time in April.
We’ve estimated these costs at $10,000 ($6,000 for retrieval and cremation, $4,000 for the travel costs of Oliver’s family). The deadline is April 1st, 2021.
Please consider donating anything you can. No amount is too small.
Oliver lived his life healing himself before turning outwards and seeking to heal others.
Now, we’re here asking for your assistance to help Oliver’s family and friends provide a memorial to heal ourselves, and preserve the legacy of this inspirational man.
We’ll miss Oliver deeply for the rest of our lives. We’ve truly been touched by the outpouring of support and love we’ve received from all over the world. If you have known Oliver, we invite you to share a story of him with us, and make this page a living memorial to him.
In the words of Oliver. I honor you and empower you to be who you are.
Mush love,
The Fungi Academy Family
Oliver passed away in the Lake he held so close to his heart and soul, falling from a cliff and hitting his head on a rock before descending into the Lake’s unfathomable depths and entering the afterlife.
Oliver was a brother, lover, healer, leader, visionary, and a source of inspiration to countless people. His story started from very humble beginnings in Estonia and continued in its modest way until only just recently.
Oliver never graduated high school and had almost nothing to his name yet found the courage within himself to travel the world once he turned 18, begging for food and water on the streets of Mexico when he hit hard times.
His love for Sacred Mushrooms was known to many, and he credited their healing power in helping him become a more empathetic, caring, generous human being and freeing himself from tobacco addiction. It was this deeply held belief in Sacred Mushrooms’ healing powers and their ability to change the world that led to the creation of the Fungi Academy.
When Oliver’s world-spanning journey landed him on the shores of Lake Atitlan, he felt called to settle there and began sharing the magic of mushrooms with as many people as he could. He, along with close friends Tannel and Silvan, began to create a space where people could feel welcome, safe, and supported in their own healing.
Set atop a hillside overlooking San Marcos la Laguna, the Fungi Academy, Oliver’s life work and a project that changed so many lives for the better, was born.
Now, it is on us to continue Oliver’s legacy and push the Fungi Academy phenomenon forward into a new age without ever forgetting the man and ethos behind it.
We’re all devastated by Oliver's loss and are utterly unprepared for the high cost of a funeral service, especially since in Guatemala, the system to retrieve a body is tedious, slow, and expensive.
The Fungi Academy was also under Oliver’s name, so there are legal entanglements that currently prevent us from being able to access and pay for the services using the school’s few funds.
Oliver was an exceedingly generous soul, always sharing any resources he had with the less fortunate.
When the coronavirus descended onto Guatemala this Spring, he ran a fundraiser for the local Mayan community so they could afford the extreme price increases for basic staples like corn. When a tragic landslide hit San Marcos this summer, he continued this mission, providing those who’d lost their home with food and sweets.
Oliver deserves a memorial and we feel it’s our duty to provide one in proportion to the grand man he was. We also feel, given his sudden passing, that he needs a chance to say goodbye to his family.
As such, we’re currently asking for donations to help cover the cost of Oliver’s memorial, including the expense of retrieving and cremating the body. We’re also seeking donations to help fund the cost of bringing Oliver’s Estonian family to the Lake to attend the memorial, which we estimate will be held some time in April.
We’ve estimated these costs at $10,000 ($6,000 for retrieval and cremation, $4,000 for the travel costs of Oliver’s family). The deadline is April 1st, 2021.
Please consider donating anything you can. No amount is too small.
Oliver lived his life healing himself before turning outwards and seeking to heal others.
Now, we’re here asking for your assistance to help Oliver’s family and friends provide a memorial to heal ourselves, and preserve the legacy of this inspirational man.
We’ll miss Oliver deeply for the rest of our lives. We’ve truly been touched by the outpouring of support and love we’ve received from all over the world. If you have known Oliver, we invite you to share a story of him with us, and make this page a living memorial to him.
In the words of Oliver. I honor you and empower you to be who you are.
Mush love,
The Fungi Academy Family
Organizer
Karena Thompson
Organizer
Carmel Valley, CA