The Gabriel Tree of Life foundation was formed shortly after the loss of our son Gabriel Shawn Patterson who took his life at the age of 25. Gabriel, a life long lover of trees and wildlife, spent the last hours of his life amongst the dunes of South Padre Island. He was the local locksmith, and very much a local legend.
At the time of his passing South Padre Island was certainly his home, however there was never a day that he didn’t dearly miss the trees of his childhood in Austin, Texas. I remember him calling after arriving in Austin one trip and stating proudly that he was calling me from the branches of a tree. He was sitting up in a tree and happy as could be. The trees nurtured him and the wildlife he loved so very much. He was always helping any little creature in need including people.
It was not long after Gabe’s suicide that the trail of trees began to take form. We wanted a living memory for Gabe for he was loved by all who knew him. To plant a trail of trees would allow others to have a living memory as well and also the community and students could become a very important part of planting native habitat for the local and migratory wildlife.
Students help to plant the trail and the community becomes part of the trail of trees and sometime to me it is the trail of trees and tears for it is a trail of nurturing with nature.
The foundation will help any community.
Scarlet Colley, mother of Gabe. Tour guide and naturalist on South Padre Island and involved with the struggle of seeing the loss of habitat to building and the consequent hardship on a major migratory bird and butterfly pathway. The loss of a child changes life forever, a struggle to go on living with the living is always there. Thru this pain and the pain of Gabe’s two sisters Shane and Heather and brother Seth, father Tom and everyone else who knew and loved Gabe this trail of trees allows us all to share our pain with that of others suffering from the loss of their loved ones. We can come together to walk the trail of trees and feel a sense of living.