On Dec. 1, Blue Wagon Group lost our dear friend and colleague Leslie Paige Beck Hughan. She died suddenly and unexpectedly from a pulmonary embolism at age 41, leaving family, friends, and coworkers shocked and devastated.
Death, sorrow, grieving, and literally chatting with someone one day who is gone the next, are not topics we typically blog about here at Blue Wagon Group. Communicating is the cornerstone of what we do though, so here we are.
We want to tell you about Leslie. Not a biographical outline exactly, but about who she was to us.
Leslie was a beautiful soul. She was one of the good ones. Genuinely good. She was joyful, kind, nurturing, dependable, talented, smart, and witty.
Leslie took care of things. And she took care of her people. As a working mom to four children, she was calm and unflappable – despite the extra challenges she faced caring for her family, which includes two young children with complex medical needs. Many of us are working moms, too, yet we watched her juggle it all in wonderment and awe. Most of our clients were not aware of the challenges she faced for her children – a testament to her resilience and grace, and that she appreciated being a contributor to meaningful work that gave her moments of separate mental space.
She managed her household and her work with paper calendars, notebooks, colored pens, and gallons of coffee.
Regardless of how busy life kept her, Leslie handled whatever needed to be handled and made it all seem effortless. She managed it all and, more importantly, she showed us how to move through the world with a good heart in everything we do and that nothing is impossible – even when we feel overwhelmed. The phrase “lead with grace” was exemplified in everything Leslie did, in every interaction.
Leslie exuded joy and warmth. She smiled. A lot. When we needed a positive outlook on a situation or project, Leslie was our go-to person. She helped us feel more grounded. Despite having a crazy schedule, she would always make time for a phone call or to connect through a short, often humorous, text exchange.
And goodness, Leslie was funny! The women at BWG like to laugh – we often must laugh in order to keep from crying – and Leslie was quick to share a witty comment or something even a tad inappropriate, which made us love her even more.
Professionally, Leslie made our lives and the lives of our clients easier. No project was too much for her; she was willing and able to tackle anything requested of her. If she didn’t know something, she would ask – and you could be assured she would find a way.
Personally, Leslie made us all feel valued, supported, and loved.
We often joke that we do a lot of handholding at BWG – with each other and with our clients. This week, our clients and colleagues have held our hands and cried with us. They feel this loss deeply, too, which is further proof of Leslie’s impact on people. The support and kindness shown to us this week has been humbling.
We recently heard it said that “grief is unexpressed love.” We believe Leslie would approve of that sentiment. And we’ve realized, in the most difficult way, that being more than coworkers, being friends, is a blessing in this life.
As gutted as we feel saying goodbye to Leslie, we feel grateful and privileged to have had her in our lives. Her absence is already profoundly felt.
No one will feel her absence more, however, than her loving family – her husband, Bryan, and their beautiful children, Virginia, Dexter, Celia and Ben. We hope you will keep them all in your thoughts, and, if you feel led and are able, to support them through a fund that has been set up for her kids.
In sorrow and solidarity,
The Women of Blue Wagon Group