Erin Leigh Higgins

On Wednesday, February 4th, 2026, our brilliant beautiful sister Erin Leigh Higgins departed this world for the next. If you randomly hear the wind singing show tunes, specifically Oklahoma, she is not far behind. If you suddenly find your phone playing Irish trad music or James Taylor, she's popped by for a visit.

As a family, we never took ourselves too seriously, our humor is dark, albeit light and good natured. So I do not think Erin would mind if we submitted a clearly unhinged obituary for her passing

Erin Leigh Higgins was born in New York City on May 26th, 1983 to Jay Higgins of Gary, Indiana, and Gail Joy of Silver Spring, Maryland. When she arrived she found out she had two older sisters, Maura and Kerry, and she was immediately not fond of that. Big mistake from her perspective, huge. That mistake was compounded by the arrival of a baby brother, Conor, five years later. The worst.

Erin attended Sacred Heart in NYC and Greenwich, CT where she collected groups of devoted friends who became like family to her. Her siblings couldn't see what the big deal was, she was brilliant, beautiful, kind, generous, and loyal in every way. It is a complete mystery how she collected so many amazing people into her life, just baffling.

After Sacred Heart, Erin wanted to live in an ice box, so she attended St. Lawrence in Canton, NY, which has more cows than people. After collecting more friends, Erin finished her stellar academic career on the frozen border and came down to Florida to thaw out.

After de-icing in Florida, Erin got a job at Merrill Lynch in Dublin, because that is what one does with an English degree. After a few years, she came back to Florida to pursue her MBA at Stetson University, whose mascot is a cowboy hat. Graduating with honors, and ready to make her mark on the World, she did what so many B school grads do; open a boutique in rural Ireland with her mother. Tale as old as time.

Overlooking the Southwest coast of Ireland, along the Wild Atlantic Way, at the edge of the World, our sister and mom opened High Tides, and it became their love labor. They worked side by side for years to create a special place in the heart of town. But it was the town that was special to her, part of her always belonged there, and part of her will always remain. To her, Waterville, Ireland was a magical place, the air, the people, the music, the love, all of it seemed to flow through her veins. She knew everyone in town, and everyone in town knew her.

Erin loved movies, books, reality TV for whatever reason, and the movies of Will Ferell. She also loved horses, Kerry and Erin had a horse, Royal Dutch, and their mother Gail had Bally Duff. They collectively dragged their not at all impatient brother who never complained to numerous shows and festivals where at least they had some good pizza.

As if she wasn't talented enough, Erin was a gifted lacrosse player and swimmer. She learned to swim the way we all did, by our dad tossing her in the pool and hoping she didn't die, he did that with all of us. It is important to have family traditions, parental darwinism is apparently one of ours. But it worked, Erin got in the pool and took to it like a little baby otter. She loved the water, and might have actually been part otter, DNA tests are pending.

Erin loved dogs, she fostered and rescued them throughout her adult life. Animals just seemed drawn to her, one time she calmed a runaway horse in Ireland while in a bathrobe, we're waiting on the contract for the movie rights. She was the one that would pull over on the side of the road to rescue a lost dog. Her dogs, Tully and Finn, were the world to her, and when Finn passed a few years ago a part of her went as well. She's back with her now, all wiggles and wet noses.

Erin was, above and beyond, a fiercely generous person. What she had, you had. What she could do, she would do for you. Fly across the ocean because you needed someone to cry on? Send money because you can't make rent? Shirt off her back, shoes off her feet, time out of her day, she gave it eagerly and without hesitation.

She had a unique desire to make sure everyone was happy around her, everyone was fed, warm, and welcomed. If she heard a song that made her happy, she wanted to share it with you. If she had an adventure that resulted in her making an absolute goofball of herself, she wanted to share it with you. If she loved a movie, or a show, a book, or a song, she had to share it with the people around her so they would feel the same way too.

If a rising tide lifts all boats, Erin was the one making sure everyone enjoyed the ride on the way up. A force of nature, a generous spirit, a tempest of laughter, good nature, and love. We would say the world is a lesser place without her in it, but we know it's a better place because of her. There was more laughter, more love, and more generosity because she spent her years with us, and though she was taken from us too early, her star had already burned brighter than most.

On the other side of the river waiting for her are her devoted grandparents, her parents, Jay and Gail, her aunt Peg and Uncle Jim, her sister Kelly, and her puppy Finn.

Hoping to one day be reunited with her are her sister Maura (Gibby and John), Kerry, her handsome and awesome brother Conor (Anna, Finnian, Virginia, Hugh), cousins Cassy (Dom, Penelope and Winnie), Jack (Robyn) Aunt Moose and Uncle Pat, Paddy, Danny, Quinn, and Jake. Kenny Joy, Lynda, Kevin, and Meaghan. And Tully, a dog.

Funeral mass will be held at Sacred Heart in Greenwich Connecticut. In lieu of flowers, rescue or foster an animal, be kind and generous to everyone you meet, tell someone you love them, help them ride the tide on the way up.

If you're looking for her, she can be found in the pool at Sacred Heart, at the Beach Club, the streets of NYC, basking in the laughter of her niece and nephews, travelling the back alleys of Paris and Rome, or at the back of the Bayview in Waterville. But if you really want to find her, take the last train to the coast, straight on till morning, until you reach the edge of the World. There will be a beach, where the sand meets the sea, and the tall grasses sway to a gentle breeze under a long summer sun. There at that beach, you will find her, finally home.