Renee Claire Bertrand

October 7, 1956 - June 20, 2020 June 20, 2020 marks the date our beloved "bon vivant" Renee Claire Bertrand departed. Most widely known for her colorful, innovative pajamas, and more intimately for her glorious spirit, Renee brought light and joy to those fortunate to have known and loved her. In her professional life, in addition to creating a successful product line, Renee developed an organizational culture of loyalty and mutual respect among colleagues. As a small business entrepreneur, and particularly rare in the garment industry, Renee shared generously the benefits of her good fortune with her employees and through her philanthropic support for mission-based non-profit organizations. Founder, creative designer and President of Bedhead Pajamas for twenty years, Renee studied costume design for the theatre at Niagara Falls College, Canada, where the faculty wanted her to become Stage Manager. Instead, following her own muse, she decided to pack her cockatoo and few possessions and travel with her sister Denise by van across the Canadian plains to Vancouver. Taking her leave of the cockatoo on the Canadian side of the border, and her sister in Seattle, Renee arrived in Los Angeles in 1980 where she was immediately enthralled by the exuberant music, dance, and design scene, and embraced by the city that became her home for thirty-eight years. Renee considered herself a "late bloomer." Born and raised in Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada, as the younger middle sibling in family of six (2 boys and four girls), in a rural, working class family. During the harsh Canadian winters, the sisters would shop fabrics and patterns and sew their wardrobe for the following year. The joy of creating unique, individually curated garments by pairing fabrics with patterns and applying finishing details, was an experience Renee applied to her production of couture dresses and coats, under the Renee Claire label for ten years. At 39 years of age, Renee launched Bedhead Pajamas, the cottage industry she founded in "Glamorous Los Angeles," producing unique pajama and loungewear designs in luxury fabrics, with couture detailing. Renee wished to thank every one of the thirty to seventy workers – cutters, sewers, creative designers and detail artisans – who were the heart and soul of her business. Much to her surprise and delight, deep love came for the first time to Renee at the age of 46 when she met Lavi Daniel, and his eleven-year-old son, Kelan. In 2017 Renee sold her business, BedHead Pajamas, and the family relocated to Mendocino County. There they resided in the town of Caspar, California, while developing a 100 acre parcel of land in Manchester. Today Wavelength Farm is the part of Renee's legacy that is the most gratifying to her. Developed as a model of sustainable organic agriculture, Wavelength Farm reflects Renee's mission of cultivating healthy foods, inspiring emerging farmers, and teaching young people the ways of sustainable farming for the future of the planet. Renee wanted it known that she was a practitioner of ecstatic living. She passed away, surrounded by love and light in Caspar on June 20, 2020.We will miss Renee's luminous spirit, her wholehearted laugh and lust for life. Predeceased by her sister Michelle, she is survived by her husband Lavi; Kelan and his wife Carly; her mother Theresa Bertrand (95 years young!); siblings, Joe, Marissa, Denise, Simon; eight nieces and nephews; and five grand-nieces and nephews. Donations may be made in Renee's name to the Good Farm Fund (www.goodfarmfund.org).