Mr. and Mrs. Iwerks, Leslie and Daniel - I first want to apologize for taking so long to sit down and tell you how very sorry I am for your loss. Tamara was a very special friend and co-worker and it's taken me a few weeks to process this loss and finally feel ready to sit down and reach out to all of you.
Tamara meant a lot to me and I miss her very much. It's hard to believe you can be good friends with someone you have only seen in person a handful of times. But we spoke almost everyday. Sometimes it was work related and necessary but mostly it was just for fun and to catch up on each other's lives. We laughed a lot, we talked about our families on a regular basis and I got to hear about all of you over the years. I feel fortunate that she shared a little bit about you with me.
Over that last few weeks I've had to learn to do my job without her. We used to lean on each other so much for support as we got through each day in this fast-paced, stressful job. Tamara was a great leader and very supportive of me and everyone at work. As a working mom with two young girls I often have crazy days that pull me in all directions. Tam always had my back if I needed to step away in the middle of the day to attend a school function or take someone to a doctor appointment. She never made me feel bad and always took the pressure off of me. I was so grateful for her every day. And I hope that I was able to be a supportive friend and co-worker to her too. We used to joke that neither of us was aloud to quit without giving the other plenty of notice to find another job too. Every time I took a day off or went on vacation, she always said: "you better come back. Don't you dare leave me here to do this alone." And I would tell her the same.
Tam was one of the funniest people I ever knew. She had a way with word. Whether it was through email or on the phone I would almost certainly end up laughing so hard it hurt. I'll miss our talks. No topic was off limits and as a result, we shared a lot of laughs over the years that made my face hurt and my sides ache. But she was also very comfortable with the difficult things that life throws at you sometimes we we shared some tears too. I'll miss our conversations and always remember them with fondness.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope that the words her friends have shared with you, including mine, bring you some peace. Tamara was loved.
With my deepest condolences, Desiree Carvajal