A Tribute To Maev Creaven
Tribute To Maev Creaven
Our community has lost one of its brightest lights – to a condition that continues to confound us all in the healing world, despite our knowledge and wisdom. Maev’s journey in the past 2 years was private, but she had a lot of good people on her side, family, partner, and colleagues whom she relied on greatly. Collectively they made a huge difference to her well-being and anyone who got to meet her during these times met a person who, despite being on the rollercoaster, was happy, satisfied with her plan, and mostly, believe it or not – looking better than ever.
I’ve known Maev as a colleague for over 10 years, yet only got to know her as a friend in the last 4. The breakthrough came, as it does in most friendships, when one person sees another person in need, takes an emotional risk and reaches out to them, breaking the original pattern and creating a new one. That’s what Maev did for me, and yet her passing has made me realise that although we connected at a deep level I still didn’t know a lot about her life.
She was a very private person – we spent most of our time engrossed in shop talk, musing about plans for the future, about the philosophical struggles of life and how that makes everything interesting. Conversations could range from the latest scientific breakthrough in health – all the way over to past life experiences and anything in between. It’s thrilling to connect with someone so open-minded and yet grounded in reality. We often talked about the world of uncertainty we live in with the healing work we all do, and how lucky we were to work in a profession that chose us, and which holds so much promise for the world. Maev would often say that most people have no idea how much functional medicine could make their lives better, and after the umpteenth time expressing this sentiment it suddenly struck me (in a Homer Simson Dooh! moment) that this was her real motivation for creating the functional medicine conferences. All along I had just assumed it was mostly a strategic business decision.
Beneath her cool, calm, stylish business-like exterior lay a woman comfortable with her own vulnerabilities, quietly determined to make a dent in the universe and who was willing to push way past her own comfort zone to do so. Seeing her from both sides made me realise how the world somehow manages to move forward creating beauty and a better future despite being a harsh, divided, stressful place that seems bent on its own destruction. It’s because ordinary people, with their own fears and inadequacies, still find the courage to break their own mould and create something good.
Maev wasn’t endowed with special gifts any more than the rest of us, she was an ordinary, real person who put her fears aside and, in the too short a time she was given, still managed to make that dent in the universe despite all the ways it tried to stop her. She was and will continue to be an inspiration to us all to, and I will be forever grateful for having had the luck of knowing her.
Goodbye Maev, journey well and thank you for leaving a light to guide the rest of us.
Brendan O’Brien
A Tribute to Maev Craven – A dear friend and ever inspiring colleague.
Writing tributes to friends that have passed on is not something I ever imagine having to do in my early 40s. The loss of Maev on the 10th of Aug 2022, has left a hole in my heart and in the world, and especially in the Nutritional Therapy community here in Ireland.
I got to know Maev very early on in my career as an NT. Way back in 2010 / 2011. In those times there were very few people out there practicing because the training and the profession was so new in Ireland. As a newly minted NT I was looking for guidance and inspiration on how to get going with my new career path. Something that I’m sure many of you can relate to(!)
She was always open, kind and generous with her support, advice and knowledge.
However, many of my fondest memories are from the years we were fellow Directors of NTOI. I was thrilled when Meave connected with me and shared her desire to join me and Lynn Dalton as fellow Director in 2017 when Jayne Dawson and Evelyn Hyder stepped down. We got handed a pretty healthy organisation at that time but with Maev’s drive, vision and sheer brilliance we could continue to build a stronger future for NTOI.
We had plenty fun times and many great conversations during these years together. Only ever an email, or a What’s App message away with her kind and encouraging support. In 2018 we took the big risky decision to make the annual AGM conference into a 2 day event with more sponsors, higher profile speakers and subsequently making more money for the organisation from this event ever. A full year of planning went into this event and it was such an anti-climax when it all came together on what was possibly the hottest day of the year! This success was continued on in 2019 and then had to be amended in 2020 due to the pandemic.
None of this would have happened without the vision, passion, connections in the industry and experience that Maev brought to the table both as a person and as a professional. Thanks to her (and a few others) during our years as Directors from 2017-2020 we were able to hand over to the new Directors whom have followed, an organisation which continued to grow and with a healthy bank account to boot.
Meav was an incredible beacon of light when it comes to her vision of what NTs and Nutritional Therapy can contribute to in Ireland and in Irish Healthcare. Her drive and ambition are something I deeply admire and am inspired by.
She is gone way to soon and I’m so sad that we don’t get to share in more of her brilliance or that she gets to continue to shine bright here amongst us all with her presence.
Thank you for everything Maev. You may not be here with us now, but you will never be forgotten.
I invite you to remember and celebrate her life and legacy. Life is precious.
Linn Thorstensson
Maev Craven, a tribute
I first met Maev as a clinic mentor in IIHS when I was studying to become an NT, she was inspiring, patient, kind and of course a wealth of NT knowledge at that point.
Fast forward a few years and I had the pleasure of working alongside Maev on the NTOI committee, I fondly remember brainstorming sessions with her in hotel meeting rooms, shared laughs over emails and group threads along with some troubleshooting too. Maev always had some wise contributions here.
I remember big hugs at the IFM conference in Dublin a few years ago, one of the many times she pulled an absolute blinder for functional medicine and our wonderful profession. I also had the honour of being a presenter and panel member with her at “Behind Closed Doors” in 2020 where she yet again shared her wisdom, supported her co-presenters and no doubt inspired any student NT in the room, just like she had inspired me so many years before.
I looked back on recent emails with Maev when she would have been very sick but I didn’t know, she still had a kind word, asked how I was and sent me a PDF of something that is now so trivial. It makes me feel really sad to think of what she was going through then. The outpouring of love and condolences for Maev among NTs and the wider community has been so huge to see. Her passing is a devastating loss for all who knew and loved her, but the impact she had, the memories and legacy she left behind will remain.
Rest in peace Maev, a beautiful soul we won’t forget.
Lynne Dalton
Maev Craven, a tribute
I was shocked and deeply saddened to hear about Maev’s passing. Maev was a generous, talented and inspirational person, full of kindness, wisdom and light. She was a shining star in the field of nutritional therapy, and of course functional medicine and her legacy will live on.
I had the honour of working with Maev for 3 years while I was working in the role of admin for NTOI and she was on the board of directors. She shared her knowledge, expertise and management experience so generously with fellow directors and committee members. I know that all the NTOI members appreciated, and benefited greatly from Maev’s contribution, which I must add – as with all NTOI directors – was entirely voluntary. A tribute to Maev’s generous spirit. Maev will be terribly missed by all the nutritional therapy community.
Deepest condolences to Maev’s family, partner and friends. Rest in peace dear Maev. Your light will continue to shine always!
Liz Gale
Please also find a link to an additional tribute for Maev, which her colleagues at the Institute of Functional Medicine posted recently – just another testament to how much she impacted those around her & how much she will be missed: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/a-tribute-to-maev-creaven/