Kathy Hepinstall, Cause of Death, California Obituary

 Kathy Hepinstall, California Obituary, Cause of Death: Her absence makes the world feel more burdened.

If you were fortunate enough to know Kathy, you are aware that her presence, not just her laughter, filled a room. Sharp, boisterous, unrepentant, and incredibly creative, Kathy was more than just a person. She laughed at it, questioned it, changed it in her wild, unafraid imagination, and challenged it.

Without a question, she was the most wackiest, funny, and impulsively creative person many of us would ever meet. Her humor was honest, frequently ridiculous, and consistently clever; it was neither refined nor courteous. She had the ability to make you laugh when you were crying, convert the most terrible experience into a comic recollection, and conjure up a punchline out of thin air. She was also sobbing occasionally, perhaps more often than we thought.

The problem with Kathy is that, despite her ridiculous jokes and dramatic acts, she was a strong lady that most people could not see. She was aware of suffering. She was well aware of it. She also attempted to use laughing to smooth the edges of the world, like many others who experience it too strongly. That trick is a survival strategy for some of us. It was also a gift to Kathy, and she gave it freely.

However, this is not the type of farewell she would have preferred, cloaked in sentimentality or fake consolation. Bullshit was not tolerated by Kathy. She set it on fire. She gleefully mocked hypocrisy, pointed out hypocrisy without hesitation, and remained steadfast in her commitment to the truth, even if it meant facing the consequences. Her code was that. That was her way of life.

The truth is that Kathy lost her life in a very difficult battle that few people saw and even fewer understood. Just as she threw herself into that battle, she threw herself into her writing, her friendships, her comedy, and her raw style of living. She was never half-hearted. She always gave it her all.

And now where her laughing should be, there is stillness. A silence where the tumult of her genius had swirled. No jokes to lighten the mood. This cannot be resolved with a punchline.

However, we do possess memory—wild, untidy, humorous, and sharp recollections of a woman who was daring and brilliant. Kathy Hepinstall did not pass away in silence. Every freaking room, conversation, page, and spirit that could keep up with her was illuminated by her.