“I'm Diana, Gwens business partner. Gwen is the other significant other in my life. I used to tell her that I would take her last name before I took any man's name. But I know she was relieved I didn't ask her to take Fenstermacher.

The fact that you are all here is so overwhelming. This loss has been devastating for us but seeing this group of people come together to remember our dear Gwen helps us heal. I find the ritual of grieving as a community helps to realize how many lives a special person like Gwen has touched and there's comfort in knowing that all of us will keep her memory alive.

I went to a Quaker memorial service last year, where they sit in quiet observance and take turns sharing stories about the person they lost. I was so moved by it that I told Gwen how lovely it was and she said, tongue click, “that's cool man!" At the end of this I'll probably be crying so I might forget to mention it, but I think Gwen would have liked to be remembered in the same way so if anyone would like to share, please do!

Gwen was legendary to me before I ever met her. The salon world used to be pretty small and I was naive enough to think I knew everyone back then. My former coworkers would tell stories about Gwen and how original she was, how cool she was, and what a good hairdresser she was. I remember being pretty intimidated before I ever met her.

Then I did meet her, the famous Gwen. I was at Wegmans with Janel and we ran into Gwen and Kevin, of course in the organic produce area. And she gave me a good once-over with those intense blue eyes. She wasn't immediately warm so of course I was intimidated.

I learned later after I got to know her that she was always observing and assessing. She always said she just knew stuff but I think she didn't give herself enough credit for being the most observant person I've ever met.

We worked together for a few years before realizing that we shared the same dream for the type of salon we would love to work in. It took about a year to get the plans in motion but of course a Leo and a Capricorn were going to have everything figured out before we opened our doors.

We were lucky that Alyssa came with us and we were so happy to find Sara right away. Alexis, Britt and Allison rounded out the team. Sheila was here with us for a while. We found our perfect little band of weirdos.

It's such a cliche but we really are a family and I don't think I could be talking now if I didn't have these strong, compassionate and brilliant ladies to lean on.

Gwen and I were alike in all the ways that mattered and different enough to have balanced perspectives. I could always trust her advice. I think empowering others was one of her strongest gifts.

I'll never forget the two of us chatting with a young woman who told us she felt like she didn't deserve to be treated so well by her partner. We immediately cut her off with a “no no" because we are not going to let anyone say nonsense like that. and it seems like a mundane memory but I felt so proud that my partner and I were so in sync in that moment and so quick to try to build this young woman up.

But Gwen loved to build someone up. She had cool older sister energy and she always hyped people up when she was learning about their hobbies and studies. She had so much to teach others but was never too proud to learn from anyone else. She made other people feel good about who they were. I didn't even know if she was intentionally doing that, or that just came so naturally to her.

I always wanted her to be proud of me..

Gwen meant a lot to me and I'll miss all the little moments.

She announced her presence every day at the back door with a honking cough or throat clearing. I loved to watch her cut hair. Even though she was doing hair forever, she loved to learn from everyone else at work.

She was always down to order lunch and she loved Thai and Indian and sush and a grandma pie from martelluch with a big gulp from sev elev.

In ten years she never learned how to ring out a gift card.

She would cut her bangs at the start of every summer even though we would tell her not to and that she would wear them pinned back by the end of the week.

She loved to tell stories about back in the day. I'll miss hearing her threaten someone with a throat punch, or telling someone to hold her. . Well if you spent enough time with Gwen you know the end of that phrase.

She loved to decorate and I knew if she came into the salon with lots of bags that I should just not stress over the credit card. And of course she had amazing style.

When I join her in the afterlife I'm going to tease her about trading in her frye boots for Crocs. But even now in her crocs phase, she always looked put together in the hippie Gwen style. She always wanted to know what brand your shoes were or where you got your dress.

She would get so excited about whatever you were talking about that she would ask you a question and then cut you off with a follow up question while you were still trying to answer the first thing. She wanted to know everything.

She made connections and pieced things together easily. She would casually throw an observation my way, letting me feel like I was putting it together even as she basically spelling it out for me.

But she was so curious and genuinely interested. She wanted to hear about your vacation and your childhood and your dreams and how your family was doing.

She cared so, so deeply. She felt everything deeply and she understood people.

She loved Zayden more than anything on the planet.

We always joked that we were Grace and Frankie and that we would be like them when we retired. Well Gwen retired before me.

I like to imagine that she's somewhere walking on the sand in jean shorts and a flowy hippie top, mirrored sunglasses and her bangs braided behind her ear and the sun shining on her.

I love you Gwen and I'll always find you in the sunlight.”