Remembering Amelia Stanley
Hi everyone,
It is with a heavy heart that I share with you the news that former Avalonian Amelia Stanley passed away from breast cancer on April 2nd.
In 2012, our client at the Kennedy Center reached out to me about this amazing candidate that he interviewed but did not have a position for. He thought she’d be a great fit for Avalon. He was right – she was exceptional at her job. Amelia stayed at Avalon for four years and then moved on to take a job at Woolly Mammoth Theatre. She remained on the client side for the rest of her career, her final position was as the Senior Director of Development at Sixth & I. Amelia was so passionate about the arts and was a committed fundraiser. But more so, she was a life force. For those of you who worked with her, her presence in the office was unparalleled. She had so much energy and infectious spirit, and she made working really fun.
What I’ll remember most about Amelia are the small things. She had lived in New York during the height of the Gossip Girl craze and was obsessed with the show. She’d wear her “Blair Waldorf” headbands to the office whenever she needed a little extra confidence. She loved to dress up for Halloween – I wish I had a photo of her Mary Poppins costume as it was amazing. She’d raid the CVS down the street from the Avalon office after Valentine’s Day and Easter to stock up on candy for the office candy jar. I actually just thought of her last week when I made my kids’ Easter baskets because we both agreed that Cadbury mini eggs were the perfect candy. When we used to do monthly birthday treats in the office, she’d push for the January folks to always try something new and special – introducing all of us to new treats, bakeries, etc. And, she was a coffee buddy – often hitting Starbucks in the afternoon with Billie (another former Avalonian) and me for our 3pm caffeine fix. We had great conversations during those quick trips often about pop culture – her knowledge of it was bar none.
Amelia could talk about pop culture and musical theater all day long, and she was also an avid sports fan. I’ve never met someone as proud to be a Nats fan as Amelia. For an Avalon Company event, she helped organize a private tour of Nats Park for us. It was so much fun – we got to go behind the scenes and even sit in the dugout.
Amelia and I worked closely on several accounts including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The client invited us to go on a sailing trip and Amelia jumped right in, getting into the action of sailing.
She was also the only one of us (former Avalonian TJ and I were also there) brave enough to touch the eel that they brought on board.
We also worked together on the Kennedy Center account. Amelia suggested a client cultivation outing of karaoke. It was so much fun – we sang a lot of Taylor Swift as well as some Britney Spears, best of the 90s boy bands, and so many others. It’s still the only time I’ve ever done karaoke, and it would be impossible for my next experience to be as much fun as that one was.
Amelia kept in touch with many of us over the years, and it was always fun to see her at industry events. Most recently, she came to Avalon’s 25th anniversary party. I’m glad she did – we had a lot of fun in the photo booth. Here she is with Dara, Margot, Page Albrecht (another former Avalonian), and me.
Amelia will be missed by all who knew her. The world is not as bright without her in it.
You can read her obituary in the Washington Post.