Page 2 January 21, 2021 EL SEGUNDO HERALD
Fagerlind from front page
a medical issue and more of a physical therapy
issue. In these classes, both with instructors and
guest speakers, she goes through topics like
stages of development, breastfeeding and bottlefeeding,
pelvic floor exercises, CPR and car seat
safety, and baby socialization. Most of all, she
explains, these groups are about community.
Erin Fagerlind and her family.
“Trust your intuition, and don’t be afraid to ask
for help. Community is everything,” she says of
new mothers. She explains that your “life tribe”
is different from your “mommy tribe” and that
while both are equally important, they’re very
different. For better or worse, those without
children or with older children often give advice,
which isn’t always what a new mom is
looking for. Sometimes it’s just to vent, to hear
from people going through the same thing at the
same time, and to talk about the current difficulties
of parenting. These classes offer the
opportunity to meet other moms going through the
same stages. Part of what Erin champions in her
practice is the ability to sift through information.
“Knowledge can be power, but you need to
be able to filter it,” she says. Anyone with even
a little anxiety who decides to have a child can
easily be overwhelmed by the amount and range
of information out there. Something she tries
to provide with her business is a place where
this information has been filtered through for
her clients and can give them peace of mind
as they find their own parenting path.
Beyond new parents, she also offers parent/
child yoga and dance classes. Toddler
yoga classes look very different than adult
yoga classes, as she describes them as being
much more playful. She explains her classes
as “noncompetitive” and “process oriented.”
“I think to have an activity that isn’t at
all rooted in competition, but more learning
how to improve themselves and manage their
emotions provides balance,” says Fagerlind.
Though she acknowledges the importance of
competitive activities for children, her program
provides an alternative.
“Mindful parenting is the core philosophy,”
she says of her practice. In addition to these
classes, she says they have events every year
like the annual father-daughter dance, to which
moms are not invited, and local professional
photographers are hired to cover the dance.
She also brings in music teachers to play guitar
and teach music to the children, which tends
to be popular with dads.
Parents get a community of other parents,
children get important socialization and emotional
tools, but what does Erin get out of all
this? “I get so much fulfillment out of building
community, connecting women, watching kids
grow,” she says, though she says that these
days, that fulfillment is harder to get without
seeing everyone in her studio all day.
Last year, when Covid hit, she, like so many
businesses, was forced to close their doors.
Wanting to keep her clients’ health and safety
as her top priority, she began thinking about
how she could adapt to keep her program and
keep this community available to parents and
children, especially now that mental health is
being challenged by pandemic isolation.
Though it’s not her ideal situation, Happy
Baby now offers outdoor classes with groups
of limited size, as well as virtual options. Her
studio is now being used as an educational
pod space for her children, and she hopes to
reopen its doors to indoor classes as soon as it
is safe. For now, she has created a space where
her clients can feel safe to come and can tell
soon to be mothers about this amazing group. •
Toddler Mommy and Me group at Happy Baby.
Obituaries
Tom Brundidge
Tom Brundidge, beloved husband,
father, father-in-law, uncle,
and friend passed away on January
8, 2021, surrounded by family. He
will be remembered as a brave, loyal,
loving, and accomplished man
who lived his life with remarkable
enthusiasm, tenacity, courage,
resilience, dedication, and faith.
Tom was a State Farm Agent
in El Segundo for 40 years. He
loved his work and cared deeply about his
clients and community; it was his great honor
to serve them. Tom was extraordinarily proud
of his talented and dedicated team of staff,
whom he considered part of his family.
Tom’s career was distinguished by many
awards, including State Farm’s Legion of
Honor Crystal Excellence Award, Chairman’s
Circle, and El Segundo Herald’s “Best of the
Best.” His final distinction came
during his last week of life. Upon
retiring on December, 31st 2020,
Tom was profoundly moved by
expressions of gratitude and appreciation
from his clients, staff,
and State Farm family. In these,
he was called “a great man,” “the
best agent and boss I have ever
known,” “an amazing mentor
and friend,” “always there,” and
“an excellent agent” with “my best interests
at heart” and was thanked for his “decades
of wonderful service,” his “friendship and
guidance,” and “wisdom.”
A virtual Celebration of Life will be held on
January 30, 2021. To send the family messages,
share memories, or for information about the
virtual Celebration of Life, please send an email
to tomscelebration21@gmail.com. •
Virginia Tracy
It is with great sadness that we
announce the passing of Virginia
Tracy in Orange County, CA
January 12, 2021. Born January 7,
1937 Virg grew up in Venice and
Westchester area and went to high
school at Westchester High. The
Youngest of 11, she was a loving
daughter and friend. Married
to Eugene Therrol Elliott, they
raised 4 children until his expected
passing in 1970. After her marriage
to Doug Tracy and retirement, she traveled
hiking the world. From Thailand to Chile, she
lived her life with passion. A docent for the
Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, master
gardener and baker extraordinaire, it was a
life filled with joy, resolve and adventure.
Virginia’s pride and joy were her four children
and their families. She is survived by: Beverly
Gilbert Gard & husband Gregg Gard and
son Ryan Graeff; Shannon Smith & husband
Marty Smith and sons, Max Szenderski (wife
Julia) and Adam Szenderski
(wife Kelsey); Mark Elliott and
children Kelsey and Therrol;
and was preceded in death by
her youngest son Keith Elliott
who left us way too soon. Virg
was most recently blessed with
two great grandsons, Makaio and
Koa. She also is survived by her
beloved former daughter-in-law
Katie Kirkpatrick Elliott.
Special Thanks to her caregivers at Kathryn
Jane Residential Care and her many friends
and family members that spent time loving
her and ensuring the later years were lived
to the fullest. A celebration of life will be
scheduled later in the year when it is safe
for family and friends to gather. Virginia
will be laid to rest at the Inglewood Park
Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider
a donation to the Santa Monica Mountains
Conservancy www.mrca.ca.gov in memory
of Virginia Tracy. •
Love Thy Neighbor
Dear El Segundoans,
The Herald staff and I only know so many El Segundoans,
but we want to learn about more of you. With 8,000
residents, we’re sure there are some gems we may have
overlooked or not been aware of them. Do you have an
interesting friend, neighbor or student? With most of El
Segundo sports and events on hold, we are looking to do
more El Segundo residents’ profiles. All you have to do
is ask their permission and send us
their contact information. Of course,
if you find yourself fascinating, send
us your information too.
– Best to you all. HM.
Send your suggestions in
to letters@heraldpublications.com
Please have your nominee’s approval before you submit them as a nominee.