WESLEY CAMERON HOWARD

OCTOBER 20, 1983 — JANUARY 19, 2017

AGE 33

Words adapted from Wesley’s eulogy by Nathan Howard.

“A man is original when he speaks the truth that has always been known to all good men.” – Patrick Kavanagh

Wesley Cameron Howard was an original.

He was a good man. A person of character. A person who loved deeply, and was loved in return.

Wesley was also the genesis of East Fork Cultivars, and the company remains a living tribute to him.

The older brother of East Fork Co-Founders Aaron and Nathan Howard, Wes was the first of the three boys, born to Laurel and Ray Howard in Brindisi, Italy in 1983.

Wes was born with a spontaneous genetic mutation known as Neurofibromatosis (NF for short). NF causes tumors to form on nerve tissue anywhere in the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord and nerves. Symptoms of NF can include severe pain, headaches, seizures, cardiovascular problems, learning impairment, hearing loss, and loss of vision.

While Wes was dealt a remarkably difficult hand that was an unrelenting factor in his existence and shaped many aspects of his day-to-day routine, he didn't allow NF to dictate the terms of his life.

He loved to spend time with his family and friends on trips to Southern Oregon, and thoroughly enjoyed being around the cultivation of cannabis – surpassed only by his enjoyment from consuming the magical plant.

Relieving Wes’ pain and helping to manage his symptoms was the driving force for Aaron’s initial cultivation under Oregon’s original medical cannabis program. However, while typical THC-dominant cannabis helped Wes, it also significantly impaired his functioning. His brothers searched for a better solution, and began to research cannabidiol (CBD) in 2014.

The following year, they were able to source 12 plants that were CBD-dominant (though only six turned out to have the correct cannabinoid profile). However, when the Howards saw firsthand the benefits from the CBD-rich cannabis, they were convinced that more people needed access to this powerful plant. When adult-use cannabis was legalized in Oregon later that year, Wes’ brothers decided to start a whole farm based around growing and breeding for CBD in various ratios with some THC.

In early 2017, Wes passed away suddenly from complications of NF, two years after Aaron and Nathan founded the East Fork farm in Southern Oregon specializing in CBD-rich cannabis. Wesley’s unexpected death was devastating to the Howard family.

Through their grief, through all the heartache and all the tears, Wes’ family has reflected a lot on the positive impact he had on them all. How he brought them closer together and made them more determined – stronger both as individuals and as a family. How they are better because of him.

There are quite literally a million reasons to love Wes and to celebrate his life today. He was such a positive force in the lives of his family and of everyone who knew him. He saw the best in people.

One of Wesley’s core values – which he lived daily – was to not give up. To continue to improve and to help others do so as well. For him to have lived this value so fully, so completely, given his extraordinarily difficult circumstances in life, is nothing short of incredible.

With a quick wit, Wesley leaned on humor during difficult times. He could always shake loose a laugh from family and friends, even during the most bleak situations. Writing Wesley’s eulogy, Nathan said, “I can’t help but think he’d want me to start by telling me some jokes and some stories from his life – some of which most certainly would not be appropriate for church.”

But Wes was just as quick to be very serious about things worth being serious over – to give himself entirely to someone in need, providing counsel and giving life advice.

Wes had a very soft spot in his heart for kids and adults who were sick. He always spoke up for the underdog – no doubt in part because he sometimes felt like one.

Wes’s strong sense of reconciliation, of comradery, shined through and continued to help his family and friends in their mourning. He somehow even imparted this quality to his dog, Hydro – who, when hearing a disagreement or fight of any kind, would run between the two parties, plant his feet, and begin to bark at both.

Wesley loved science. He wanted to be an astronaut when he was younger, and continued his dream of space exploration through diligently reading news about the stars and planets. He always brought a telescope with him on family trips and had been saving up for a newer, bigger telescope. His favorite movie was Apollo 13, and favorite book was TimeLine by Michael Crichton.

He loved watching the History Channel, and had subscriptions to magazines like Popular Mechanics, National Geographic, and Popular Science. He also adored gadgets, and found joy in using technologies like the newest iPhone, iPhone wall projector, atomic beam lanterns, a drone, bluetooth headsets, and speakers.

And Wes was a beloved volunteer at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). He worked primarily at the Turbine Hall entrance on Fridays. He loved to see the busloads of school kids, and often texted his family while volunteering – telling them about the hundreds of kids that would visit in a day. One of his favorite moments was about a little boy of about seven years old, running into Turbine Hall and shouting to his Mom, “This is where the science is, this is where the science is!”

Wes brought to his life a mighty heart.

He brought to his family and friends a mighty heart.

What a good man.

What an original.