I lost a very, very dear special friend this week. Roz Hermant, I met her initially on the 2016 Kawartha studio tour. She came into my house and asked me point-blank if she could share the space I had rented to do a show in the winter. Usually, I would’ve said no, but for some reason, I said yes something about her made me want to say yes, and ever since then, we have been friends, and it feels like I’ve known her my entire life.
Reading all the testimonies to Roz’s life makes your heart happy because you know she was well loved. This would have made Roz happy. To think how many lives she has made remarkable.
We all knew that Roz was something special, that this essence was like nothing you’ve ever known before in your life. Roz was inclusive. She made you feel like you were part of something, that you mattered. Roz and Jan were the kinds of people. If you needed help, they were there in a heartbeat. They were always there to help you through anything. We help each other get through life the best way we know. Roz allowed you to be part of her family, which was one of the most precious things to her. I love hearing stories about her cousins and her life growing up at the cottage. These were things that made Roz who Roz was. I love hearing the stories of all her friends, How they also help to create this unique person we call Roz. Nothing Roz said was boring. There was always a joke, a kind word, she engaged in you, and she made you feel like you were the most extraordinary thing on the planet. Roz understood what respect meant. She would love you with all your imperfections. She could see through all the crap we humans carry; Roz could see the true you. Her loyalty was forever.

I remember her getting regular health checkups to ensure she was healthy, and every time she came back, she would say that she didn’t have Cancer, which would be a huge celebration. Roz love to celebrate and celebrate everybody’s achievements and successes. We did not take any of that for granted. We would come up with a fancy cocktail or a special meal, or a special event to mark that moment in life. She would always say, “so what do you wanna do for your birthday” and she wouldn’t let you get away without doing something. This year we will have a fire and ribs to celebrate my birthday and the end of her first batch of treatment, but unfortunately, Roz passed away the day before my birthday.
She understood that celebrating moments in life was unique and essential. Going to the cottage was the biggest party of all. We planned, we had Google sheets of what everyone will be bringing to eat, and we would all take turns making meals. We will prepare our special drinks for the weekend and what we will do. I was always so grateful and honoured that she would allow me to partake in the most special place in the world to her, the cottage.
I can still see her, Tara and Jodi floating on their air mattress in the lake. The joy and tranquillity they all had.

Roz believed in me. One of the most significant connections we had was Art. Art is what describes who we are. We both understood the riggers of that kind of lifestyle. We would do the same shows and share the same Airbnb, not just to save money but because these shows were a holiday. No matter what, it was the best show ever, even if it was a Financial failure; with our fantastic art roadies Jan and Andy, neither of us could do shows without them. Roz Would be up for Wee hours trying to complete new work. I believe she loved the pressure and Challenge to get it done. Us artists are procrastinators, and we need that pressure to achieve our best result. I always used to worry about her getting sick cause she would go until the piece’s completion. She always got it done. Jan would help that magic to happen. They would create what we called “A Dexter room” (like in the show Dexter )in the basement, a space to air paint her frames because it was too cold outside. I am happy to know that she had completed all her commissions before she left us. I can still hear her say, ” sell your cheap and cheerful,” when it was not a show I was sure would go well.
Art, in the end, is what describes who Roz was and is. She was an actual photographer; the light was her medium.
Seeing my friend, Sister, throw treatment for Cancer was a heartbreak, the pain she endured. She always had a smile, and humour got us through the tough times. We would drive her to appointments in Oshawa . Roz was always so grateful, but to us, it was a pleasure and an honour to to support her and to spend those precious moments with her. We, as her friends, did everything we could to make her life and Jan’s life more bearable and tolerable. We would’ve done anything for Roz and Jan.

We all thought she would beat this monster called Cancer. If anyone were going to destroy it, it would be Roz.
When we saw her hit the gong to indicate that the radiation treatment was over, for now, we all thought she had it beat. She thought life might now feel better. She was planning to go to the cottage. She was thinking about the pieces she needed to complete. We thought we would see the monarch butterflies at Peel Point next September. Enter the lottery in Pennsylvania to see the fireflies that all lit up simultaneously.

She had lots of plans and a lot of living still to do. So her death comes as a complete utter shock .it leaves an emptiness in you; like our friend said, when there is a loss of love, love does not know where to go. My heart breaks for the people she has left behind. But in particular, Her husband Jan( amazing human), who describes who she is, and her parents, who help her be who she is.
Roz understood who I am

Love you, Roz

All art images copyrighted by Roz Hermant photography