"Be the Change"
Erin Elizabeth Henry was 22 when she left this world, on November 26, 2017, in Arcata, CA.
She was born January 31, 1995, in Sheridan, Wyoming, where she was adopted by her parents Tom Henry and Teri Lippold-Henry-Rowland. Erin was a kind and gentle soul, who always took the time to help others in any way she felt that she could.
She was an avid dreamer whose love of drama was apparent from the beginning; creating as well as acting on the spur of the moment. She was a free spirit who loved singing, performing, and the theater above all else, and had even written and directed her own plays. She was active in choir and drama at Sheridan High School, from which she graduated in 2013, as well as several community theatrical performances in both Sheridan and Arcata. Erin gave her best in every performance, whether it involved the part of Cassius in Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, or acting the part of a clownish pirate in Peter Pan. Most recently, she was nominated for the Irene Ryan Foundation award and was awarded a scholarship to attend the competition. She balanced her love for acting with an avid interest in reading and writing. While she tended to have two left feet, she also enjoyed athletic pursuits such as softball and volley ball, and recently completed her first triathlon in 2015. She also loved the outdoors and spent time camping, canoeing, and hiking both with friends and with family.
Erin was a beloved daughter, sibling, granddaughter, aunt, niece, cousin, friend and student. She was patient and kind to both the young and the elderly, spending time with younger cousins and elderly family members alike. Her younger cousins loved her talent for spontaneously transforming not only herself, but them into different characters utilizing her talents with make-up and hair.
Erin was always looking out for those in need, and her passion for her beliefs grew throughout high school and college . She became a voice for change in this world and truly believed that she could bring about the changes she desired. She was passionate about advocacy through acting, the environment, and social injustice and she always stood for what she believed in. After high school, she traveled to Europe, broadening her awareness of world issues.
Erin graduated with honors from Humboldt State University in California with a degree in Theater. She was residing in Arcata, California working part time with the elderly through a program known as Visiting Angels and was in the process of finishing up a minor in Social Advocacy, which will be granted posthumously.
Erin is preceded in death by her grandparents Hal and Alice Henry (of Columbus, Ohio) and Tim Lippold (of Columbus, Ohio), and by her sister Anna Rowland (of Sheridan, Wyoming).
Erin is survived by her parents: Tom Henry and Randy and Teri Rowland (all of Sheridan); her great grandmother Josie Schreibeis (also of Sheridan), grandparents Jo Lippold (of Columbus, Ohio) and Ralph and Norie Rowland (also of Sheridan), siblings: Ian Henry (of Denver, Colorado), Rachael (and Lance) Rowland- Anderson (of Greybull, Wyoming), Trenton (and Aubrey) Rowland (of Kalamazoo, Michigan), and Zane Rowland (of Washington D.C.); several nieces and a nephew; and by many loved aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Her dreaming, dedication to causes, kind and loving spirit, and her passion for those causes will be forever missed.
A memorial scholarship fund for the theatrical arts has been established in Erin's name.
A celebration of Erin's life will take place Friday, January 26th, 2018 at 2:00 pm at the WYO Theater. Burial will follow in the Sheridan Municipal Cemetery, where Erin will be interred next to her sister Anna.
The Sheridan Press – Dec. 14, 2017.