On Jan. 22, 2024, Eben Zachary Talmage entered into a state of grace and peace he had sought at the end of his life having endured the unbearable pain of a two-year separation from his daughter who he loved dearly, in the course of a protracted divorce.
His family and friends in Maine knew his bright spirit and joyful depth. But he also traveled around the world, meeting many people who knew him as a passionate surfer. They knew his shining character and his flair and style, his deep respect for the peoples of the world. He developed the skills of an ambassador traveling to almost all the continents and countless countries within them. He left his enduring presence with all of those he met.
Eben knew how to connect with the people he visited by researching the places that he planned to visit. One story he told is the time he wore traditional clothing when he spoke to a chief in Samoa and asked to surf his beach. The chief granted him the right to surf and invited him to stay on the beach in a village hut. That was how Eben lived his life. We will miss him to a depth we cannot describe, but we are buoyed up by his love and sense of adventure that he brought to us every day.
Eben finally found joy in the last year of his life with his fiancé, Brooke Larrabee, who was the “love of his life.” They planned to wed as soon as his divorce was final. He and Brooke practiced yoga together and surfed together and delighted all who knew them. She will always be a cherished member of our family.
He is survived by his daughter, Eloise Grace Talmage, his “little mermaid,” his fiancé Brooke Larrabee, his mother Mary Zachary-Lang, his step-father Dan Lang and his father Zandy Talmage and wife Debbie Batton, his brother Ian Talmage and wife, Jennifer Banis, his brothers Max Talmage and Alex Talmage, his Uncle John Zachary and Aunt Linda Zachary, his Uncle Angel and Aunt Myrna, and his nieces Mena and Ruby Talmage, and his nephews Jack and Nicholas Talmage.
A great soul serves all the time.
A great soul never dies.
They bring us together again and again.
– Maya Angelo