Maeve Cole

Maeve was born Chase William Cole on a lunar eclipse, September 26, 1996. Attending first through 12th grade in Sherwood, Oregon, she went on to study Welding at PCC. Preceded in death by her little brother Justus Daniel Cole in 2015, Maeve is survived by her beloved little sister Nevaeh Lyn Cole, her parents Paul and Adriana, her grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, and many cousins with whom she was close to all her life. Maeve identified her gender as female in her early twenties and became lovingly known as Ayana. Progressing to consider herself genderless, or non-binary femme, she changed her name to Maeve. A beautiful soul, Maeve was described by many as the brightest light in any room. She was intelligent, spiritual, well read, outspoken, gracious, and genuine to a fault. She believed in God with an unconventional faith and understanding of who Jesus truly is, and inspired others to shed harmful cognitive dissonance in exchange for the true Agape love that Jesus personifies. A fierce revolutionary, Maeve was a formidable warrior against all injustices and oppression. She made people feel heard and special and would be there for anyone with a moment’s notice. Maeve embodied emotional intelligence and had an incredibly witty and childlike sense of humor. Friends have ascribed her as a “Meme Lord” on social media, where she shared hilarious and oft poignant and controversial messages from her social platforms. With a wandering spirit, Maeve was content with the clothes on her back and friends to share the day with. In her teens, she expressed that her life goal was to live the simple life of a homeless person, and she lived out that intention of simplicity until the day she died. Talented and gifted in the arts, Maeve was teaching herself Portuguese, could play songs beautifully on the piano by ear though never having had a formal lesson, and captivated many with her stunning interpretive dances using light and fire. It has been said of her that she was an artist whose medium was light. Maeve created electronic dance music beat mixes and enjoyed attending EDM festivals where she formed deep connections with friends and strangers alike. She was that once in a lifetime person that you meet. It’s difficult to sum up such a beautiful, complex, and unique person in so few words. Maeve said before she died that her spirit animal was a butterfly, because it begins its life as a caterpillar then becomes a butterfly; and she was like a butterfly, floating where her spirit took her and following the wind, unfettered by convention. Battling metastatic testicular cancer at the age of 22 with optimism and grace, Maeve underwent intensive chemotherapy and multiple surgeries and was in remission at the time of her death. She also struggled fiercely with addiction and ultimately lost her life to an accidental fentanyl overdose at the age of 24 on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021. In honor of Maeve, and her family and friends who miss her dearly, if you or a loved one struggle with addiction, please seek help and never give up the hope that you can find freedom and healing from your hurts. Your life matters and you are dearly loved.