Yesterday, the day of valentines and cupid’s flying arrows, we reflected on the sad news of Bernie Travis’s passing. Bernie was the founder of Early Onset Dementia Alberta Foundation. Bernie helped every single person she could. With joy in her heart, and the offer of hope for a better day. A carer herself of a life partner with progressive dementia, Bernie could have easily made her focus about the “caregiver”. Clarence, her beloved husband was also an older person, yet Bernie chose to place her eye on the younger people who receive the diagnosis of early onset dementia. Bernie had excellent assessment skills and saw that very few if any organizations and health systems place emphasis on the person themselves- the person living with dementia. We worked closely with Bernie as the group set out to determine direction. We shared events, grant exploration with the hopes of bringing basic education about dementia to all communities, and most of all, we shared the passion of respecting the human rights and fundamental value of people living with dementia. Bernie, your passion lives on and we take up the challenge to follow in your awareness and footsteps. The next grant we write, the next committee we are on regarding dementia friendly communities, we will know you are right there beside us as the inspiration that fuels our efforts. Resources: Early Onset Dementia Alberta Foundation https://eodaf.com/ Alberta Council on Aging Let’s Talk Dementia https://acaging.ca/ Age friendly dementia friendly communities: Is dementia the same as Alzheimer’s disease? Can dementia be prevented or delayed? Learn about what dementia is, what an age friendly/dementia friendly community looks like, and how to enhance quality of life for people living with dementia.