By Jondi Gumz
Lindsey Quinby lived life to the fullest with her 10 best girlfriends until an all-terrain vehicle accident in 2012 ended it at age 29.
Paul Quinby reunites with friends of his daughter Lindsey, in photo (from left): Mo Collins, Angie Korobi, Juliet Edson, Diane Peterson, Crystal Schyadre, Kiki William, Jen Tieche, Shana Walt, Dre Olson, and Eddieween Oliver. • Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz
She was the glue that brought all 10 of them together for the first time in eight years to a weekend tribute orchestrated by her father Paul Quinby, who lives in La Selva Beach. Lindsey was an only child, and Paul worried he would lose touch with her friends as they moved past their mid30s, married and had children of their own.
He had saved Lindsey’s clothes, thinking they could be made into quilts for her friends. When he saw quilters at Books & Brews in La Selva Beach, he inquired, then followed up with a request last fall to members of the Pajaro Valley Quilt Association, which meets monthly at Temple Beth El in Aptos.
Lindsey’s Quinby’s friends shared their memories in letters, photos and artwork that accompanied the exhibit at the Pajaro Valley Quilt Association 2020 show. • Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz
Could Lindsey’s clothing be repurposed into baby-size quilts for each of her friends with one for him and one for Lindsey’s mom? he asked.
“That kind of request is very unusual,” said Michael McNamara, president of the PVQA, which has nearly 300 members.
Ten quilters including McNamara took up the challenge.
“There are so many reasons people make quilts,” said McNamara, a prolific quilter. “They give warmth and comfort.”
Nancy Goudarzi, a quilter in earnest for 25 years, saw immediately what could be done.
“We’ll take photos and put them in the show,” she told Paul Quinby.
Tears came to his eyes.
Quilt show
This quilt, designed and made by Cathy Hanson, reflects Lindsey Quinby’s love of the Golden State Warriors, her high school basketball team, and the outdoors. • Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz
He invited all 10 of Lindsey’s girlfriends to come to Aptos for the weekend and see the results on display at the PVQA’s 2020 show Feb. 22-23 at the Watsonville fairgrounds.
The friends arrived at Aptos Seascape, where they reconnected with Paul and reminisced about Lindsey, met the quilt-makers and visited the quilt show.
“This reminds me of her,” said Angie Korobi, 37, of Oakland, looking at a quilt designed by Goudarzi and made by McNamara, featuring an image of Yosemite and logos of the Golden State Warriors and the San Francisco Giants.
She met Lindsey in seventh grade when Lindsey transferred to Miller Creek Middle School in San Rafael.
“She was this beautiful blond girl – everybody had a crush on her,” Angie recalled. “She’s still touching people beyond her passing. She was always bringing people together.”
Shana Walt, 39, of the East Bay, Lindsey’s friend since middle school, said, “She was this being of light… kind and good.”
After high school, where Lindsey played basketball, Shana and Lindsey got together again at San Diego State University. When Lindsey went to work in sales at radio station 92.7, she got them tickets to see the Warriors.
“She was always making connections,” Shana said.
Memories
This quilt, made by Linda Fleck, made from Lindsey Quinby’s clothing, shows the many styles she wore. • Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz
Diane Peterson, 37, of Marin, played on a championship AAU basketball team with Lindsey.
At a playoff game, where Diane was the point guard and Lindsey was the wing, Diane’s elbow ended up in Lindsey’s eye, a moment captured by the local photographer – “we earned this,” Diane said.
The two started on varsity as freshmen and after their high school playing days ended, they visited each other in college, Diane at Sacramento State and Lindsey at San Diego State.
Kiki William, 37, of San Rafael, a friend since preschool, played who played basketball with Lindsey.
“She was the defensive heart of our team,” Kiki said
She went to UC Berkeley when Lindsey went to Santa Barbara City College and they stayed in touch. Kiki went to her graduation, and afterward, “we talked daily,” she said.
Her own style
Lindsey had a fashion style all her own, reflected in the quilts.
“I’m blown away by what I see,” Kiki said. “I see little pieces of all of her.”
McNamara, the only man making quilts for Lindsey’s friends, figured out a way to use her pants —“I’m not afraid of those curves,” he said.
Lindsie Moorehouse Collins, 38, of Redwood City, came wearing peacock earrings that used to be Lindsey’s.
“Her mom gave them to me,” she said.
The two became best friends in seventh grade, coming up with their own nicknames: “Mo” and “Q.”
Lindsey was her bridesmaid and the two went to 49er football games.
“I named my daughter Quinby after her,” she said, tears in her eyes. “She would have been an amazing mom.”
Twins
Eddieween Oliver, 39, of Marin, said she was “kind of a big sister” to Lindsey since middle school.
“We’d be at concerts, reggae and ragamuffin, and she’d yell out my name,” she said.
She brought her twins, Grace and Matthew, 2 1/2, and her youngest, Mike, 17 months, to the quilt show, recalling how Lindsey came to parties for her oldest son Jonathan, who’s 20.
She named her daughter Grace after Paul said, “We all need a little more grace in this world.”
At the quilt show, Eddieween found two nearly identical quilts, one pink, one blue, for her twins.
Juliet Edson, 38, of Novato, a friend since middle school, played basketball with Lindsey.
They dressed in crazy socks and crazy hair, took prom pictures together, and when Juliet’s family went on vacation, Lindsey came along.
“She always called my mom on her birthday,” Juliet said.
Comforting
Crystal Schyadre, 38, of Novato, met Lindsey at the middle school talent show — they both sang — and then played basketball with her, spending a lot of time in practice and at camps.
In the summer, she and Lindsey went with Juliet’s family to Northern Wisconsin, waking up for the sunrise and canoeing and singing on the river.
The friendship never faded.
“My son is 12 — she came to his birthday parties,” Crystal said.
When Crystal got divorced, Lindsey was a comfort.
“She always knew what to say,” Crystal said.
Dre Olson, 37, of San Diego, was assigned Lindsey as a roommate at Santa Barbara City College and “became best friends.”
After living in a dorm, they moved to Isla Vista together.
“There were nine girls in that apartment– it was a lot of fun,” Dre said.
Dre finished her degree at San Jose State, then moved in with Lindsey in San Diego until she graduated.
Lindsey’s dream was to travel the world. She went on her own, visiting Europe and Australia and returning with an accent.
A friend returns
Jen Tieche, 37, of San Rafael, was the mid-year arrival from Catholic school when she met Lindsey in seventh grade.
“We were inseparable,” she said. “Beaches, nature, hikes, movies, we did everything together.”
When they got older, they would get in her black Jetta and listen to music.
At one point, Jen found a new group with hang out with and lost touch with her middle school friends.
“She brought me back,” Jen said of Lindsey. “I ‘m happy I came back… I love her and miss her and still feel her energy to be a better person.”
Extraordinary
This project became personal for all of us,” said Goudarzi, who enjoyed meeting Lindsey’s friends most of all. “Everything else related to the past and this related to their future.”
As Lindsey’s friends prepared to go home, Paul Quinby said, “These are extraordinary girls.”
He added, “These quilts will tell a lot of stories.”
He’s grateful to the quilters who made their reunion possible.
The quilters: Roz diNatale, Linda Fleck, Karen Gonzalez, Nancy Goudarzi, Cathy Hansen, Rosa Kitchen, Michael McNamara, Joanne Pedemonte, Susan Ranieri, Annie Tokarz.