Marcella Grace "Sali" Eiler

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South Eugene High School

Marcella Eiler Obituary

Marcella "Sali" Grace Eiler

1987-2008

A memorial will be held for Sali on Saturday, March 21, 2009, from 2-5 PM at New Zone Gallery, 164 West Broadway, Eugene, Oregon.

Sali was born in Kirkland, Washington on September 30, 1987 and moved to Eugene at age 6. Her early childhood was peaceful and sweet. She enjoyed sports, friends, family and school.

Sali developed an early appreciation of the inequity and injustice in life and stepped directly from child to activist. Sali attended Spencer Butte Middle School, South Eugene High School and Wellsprings Friends School. While a student, Sali taught English to Central American torture survivors, championed animal rights and worked to save old growth forests.

Sali earned her GED at 16 and accelerated. She worked with "Food Not Bombs" using her skills to turn reclaimed dumpster food into hot meals. She contributed to grassroots reporting of news, both in Mexico and North America for "Indymedia". Sali provided life saving assistance to Mexican migrants through the humanitarian movement "No More Deaths".

Sali lived in Oaxaca, Mexico where she taught and performed dance and worked with a local movement supporting indigenous peoples' rights to self sufficiency.

Sali was a banjo player, an artist and sang with a Mexican punk rock band -- a laughing, singing, dancing firecracker. She was an inspiring humanitarian, a courageous woman of warmth, compassion, beauty and endless energy who believed anything was possible.

Sali received a posthumous award for her humanitarian work from the City of Tucson, Arizona, that states in part, "She fought for justice and fairness, regardless of borders, sought equality and prosperity for all, and believed that all people should have the opportunity to realize their hopes and dreams."

Sali was murdered in San Jose del Pacifico, Oaxaca, Mexico on September 15, 2008.

Sali is a loved and cherished daughter to Barbara Healy and John Eiler, stepdaughter to Catherine Eiler, sister to Claire Eiler, Cavan Telford, Erin Telford, and granddaughter to Arthur Healy.

Contributions to support the humanitarian causes she devoted her life to may be made to the Marcella Sali Grace Eiler Memorial Fund at Oregon Community Credit Union.Please sign the guest book at www.registerguard.com/legacy

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Eugene Register-Guard on Mar. 8, 2009.

Memories and Condolences
for Marcella Eiler

8 Entries

Robin Saxton

March 21, 2009

Barbara, thank you so much for sharing details of Sali's life, activities and fate in the memorial announcement. I remember her and your stories about her vividly. I am inspired by her wholehearted committment to what she believed in. She was an admirable person and I know you are proud of her.
My deepest condolences for your loss and for her attenuated life.

Dallas Van Winkle

March 14, 2009

I am very grateful to have known Sali. We spent most of the summer of 2003 hanging out, riding bikes, dumpster diving, going to house shows, making art, and attending other events in Eugene and Portland.

She was so passionate, she had done more in her 20 years than many do in a lifetime.

Reflecting on the time spent with her, I feel inspired to make more positive choices in my life, to volunteer, and I am also reminded how fragile and precious life is, and to truly appreciate those we love and to show it.

She was so vibrant and caring, and will be missed greatly.

We love you Sali.

Bob Berman

March 13, 2009

In 2003, an event called Cascadia Summer took place in the Northwest. Those with an interest in saving the last of the old-growth forests congregated from all corners of the country to our area. I volunteered to drive activists needing a ride to the designated camp sites east of Oakridge. One morning, in front of the Growers Market in Eugene, there stood a young teenage girl toting a backpack bigger than herself, with a sleeping bag in hand. As I went up to her, I heard from in back of her, "Bob!" It was Barbara Healy, a woman I had worked with briefly at a social service agency. She was the girl's mother- Sali's mother.
Barbara, turns out, like any caring mother, had her worries about sending her young daughter off with a bunch of strangers to the middle of some wildnerness. I can't describe the look of relief on Barbara's face in seeing my familiar face. It was the look of such deep love and concern that this woman had for her child. I assured her I would deliver Sali safely to the right people.
Well, I dropped my carload of activists off at the designated site. But, there was no one there when we arrived. Soon, though, like a scene from a movie, three women came out of the deep forest. They had such loving smiles on their faces as they hugged and welcomed Sali. In a flash she was led into the forest where I lost site of her amongst the large douglas firs.
Barbara, my wife and I send you and your family our deepest condolences. I just read today the Register-Guard memorial and was absolutely floored at what Sali had done with her life since I last saw her six years ago. People have a tendency to fall into that cliche that human beings are pretty much all alike, that we all put our pants on one leg at a time. Nonsense. That type of thinking keeps us from recognizing the truly special ones that come along once ever so often in this world. Sali was one of those people. She was a gift to humanity.

Kim Donahey

March 12, 2009

I have not words to say in gratefulness for the choices Sali made in her life as a woman and courageous person.

Our mothers are known for wishing away our many choices as an adolescent. Many of us lead a life based in fear and repression of our true selves in order to fit a mold. mold. life unlived.

Sali is a sparkling example of Life. I thank you from the bottom of my heart Sali.

To those left behind, my heart weeps.

love, kim
a bit moldy, but inspired by you, Sali.

Adrienne House

March 11, 2009

Dear Barbara, I was heartbroken to hear about Sali. I spent last Saturday reading as much as I could about her life. What an amazing woman! The time I got to spend with her is now all the more precious to me. Words are so inadequate. My heart is with you, Love, Adrienne

James Telford

March 10, 2009

Dearest Barbara, I never had the chance to get to know Sali but since her death I have learned just how special a human being she really was. I am so glad to have had the opportunity to meet her at our son's wedding in Tucson. She touched many people's lives and seemed to live each day the way we all should, with an open hearted kindness for our fellow man.

Brian Robak

March 8, 2009

I still remember attending block class with Sali at Spencer Butte. I couldn't believe it when I recieved a txt message from my sister to hear about this. My prayers and thoughts go out to Sali's family. She was a great person and always friendly.

Diane George Cougill

March 8, 2009

Barabara, I was so saddened to read
about Sali. It broke my heart to rememeber this wonderful young girl who took care of my parrot and watered my garden. Please know you are in my thoughts for the loss of your sweet and kind daughter. She gave so much of her life to so many who have no voice in the world they were born into. She had the courage so many of us wish we had. People will remember the young American woman who cared about the people who had no voice in their country. There is so much injustice in countries that are close to us. As well as the migrant workers who pick our strawberries every June. I thank Sali for all she did for these people. Take care, Barbara.
From Diane George(Sacred Heart Home Infusion)

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