honored by family members, numerous friends
Two longtime friends and Los Altos housemates, Paula Barnes and Gavin Stearns, both in their late 30s, died in the EgyptAir crash of Oct. 31.
Both also worked at Aspect Development, Inc., a component and supplier management solutions firm in Mountain View.
More than 100 friends gathered last Tuesday at Barnes' house, where Sterns also lived. They brought candles, food, photographs and memories.
A close friend of both said that the mood was sad at first. But the mood became a celebratory as people shared and remembered the two individuals, both known for their love of life, who themselves were loved and admired by many.
Stearns had held a position for three years in technical support at Aspect Development. Barnes had been with Aspect four years as a sales representative.
A friend said that Barnes' love of travel had prompted her to take a leave of absence last April. She had traveled to Nepal, Alaska, and China.
It was Barnes' travel bug that sparked the desire to travel down the Nile. Barnes, Stearns and Barnes' boyfriend, Kurt Schwenk, 39, who worked at Palm Computing, invited friends and relatives on the trip. Barnes' parents, residents of Colorado, were also aboard the flight that crashed shortly after take-off from New York.
A friend said the loss was especially tragic as Barnes had explained in a recent conversation that her travels had taught her much about life.
Stearns and Barnes, the friend said, both lived their lives fully, and shared circles of friends. "They were loved by everyone. They treated everyone with the same respect. Other people came into their lives as tens - at the top of the scale."
The families will hold memorials in Massachusetts, Colorado, and California.
Aspect Development also had a company gathering to give employees a chance to share and pay respects.