Gillian Beth Haglund suddenly and unexpectedly passed away on Tuesday, November 7th of a pulmonary embolism after a brief illness. The oldest daughter of Pam and Norman Haglund and the sister of Eric and Hallie Haglund, Gillian was born at St. Joseph Hospital on Friday, December 13, 1974 during a meteor shower and on the day of a partial solar eclipse. From the very beginning, she seemed destined to live a strange and wild life.
A deep lover of horses, Gillian rode competitively during her adolescence, until her similarly deep love for heavy metal music pulled her in a more rebellious direction. Still, this passion for animals never left her: From her horse named Winter to Tyco, the cat that she loved for twenty years; to the pet rat she carried in her pocket during her teenage years; to her work as a veterinary technician in her 20s; and to her volunteering at MaxFund Animal Shelter and Happy Dog Ranch toward the end of her life.
Gillian was a gifted artist. Her creativity ranged from candle-making and drawing to collage and tattoo art. She was a prolific starter of projects, less so of completing them. Her longtime partner, Tony Becerra, still has a few tattoos that aren’t quite finished.
This past Halloween, Gillian and Tony celebrated their 20th anniversary. Amidst a difficult life, the love Gillian and Tony shared brought her profound happiness. Together they laughed, argued, listened to music, went on night walks, ate cheeseburgers, and enjoyed the immense comfort of knowing someone and being known.
Gillian was beautiful, smart, funny, kind, sensitive, and always ready for an argument. From an early age, she struggled with mental illness, which could be a great source of pain for her and those around her. But she loved life enough never to give up on it, and the people who loved Gillian never gave up on her.
Gillian chose to live by her own compass, even when the choices she made were not the easiest or kindest to herself. Yet despite all the obstacles she encountered, she experienced rewards many never achieve, including a long term loving and mutually supportive relationship and a family who continued to love and embrace her. She will be sorely missed.
Contributions to either MaxFund Animal Shelter or to Happy Dog Ranch would be welcome.
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