New Bedford Mystery Brick Tied to Florida Girl’s Heartfelt Legacy
It’s not every day you step on something in the ocean that changes your life, but that’s exactly what happened to me.
While training for the Buzzards Bay Swim near Cisco Brewers in New Bedford, I stepped on what felt like a sharp rock. Turns out, it wasn’t just a rock; it was a tiny square brick with felt on the bottom and a name engraved on the top.
It read "Emelee 'Bean' Arbuckle."
How a Brick Sparked a Search for Meaning
I didn’t know who she was, but the brick stuck with me. After a little digging, I found her obituary and learned she was a young woman from Florida who had passed away tragically young. But how her name ended up engraved on a brick in Buzzards Bay? That was a mystery I had to solve.
READ MORE: Florida Memorial Brick Possibly Found in New Bedford Waters
Fast forward a few days, and thanks to a chain of events involving a man named Carl Brown, his wife and a well-timed article I posted, I got in touch with Emelee’s father, Ken Arbuckle. What followed is a conversation I’ll never forget.
The Arbuckles’ Mission: Honoring Emelee’s Memory
Ken and his wife Karen shared the incredible story behind the brick. Since Emelee’s passing, her family has been placing engraved bricks at lighthouses all over the country. They've accomplished over 400 lighthouse visits and counting. They began the journey six months after she passed on Sunday, December 29, 2013 during a healing trip to St. Augustine, Florida. Seeing tribute bricks along a lighthouse path, the Arbuckles were inspired to start one of their own, and the Emelee “Bean” Arbuckle Foundation in association of the Community Foundation For Brevard was born.
The foundation supports many of Emelee’s passions:
- The Melbourne High School Crew team, where she was a senior coxswain for four years. Two boats have already been named in her honor.
- Local artists, as Emelee had hoped to become an art therapist to help children through creativity.
- And someday, support for creatures of all kinds, which she adored.
The brick I found was originally placed by Ken and Karen in June 2023 at the Butler Flats Lighthouse in New Bedford, the very one my training swim passes by. They had tossed the brick from the rocky jetty and somehow, over time, the brick was swept away from its resting spot and returned to shore.
Ken told me I’m not the first person to find one of Emelee’s bricks. In fact, I’m the fourth or fifth person to reach out after stumbling upon one. They never expect them to be found. As the Arbuckles put it, “Every once in a while, God uncovers one.”
So now, the story comes full circle.
This Saturday, during my 1.2-mile swim across Buzzards Bay, I’ll carry Emelee’s brick with me in my wetsuit pocket. When I reach the Butler Flats Lighthouse, I’ll stop for a moment and place the brick as close as I can to where it belongs, back where her parents left it, with love.
Why Remembrance Matters to Grieving Families
When I asked the Arbuckles why they go to such lengths to get their daughter’s name out into the world, even if it’s found by accident, their answer stuck with me:
“So many children are forgotten after a period of time, and we’ve learned through compassionate friends, and others who’ve also lost children, that it’s really all about remembrance.”
After our phone conversation ended, Emelee’s parents reached out to me directly, and what they shared added even more depth to this story that reminded me just how much power one small brick can carry.
“There is no one word to explain the tears on my face – joy, happiness, sadness, heartache. Probably joy comes closest, knowing someone was talking about my child. Thank you so very much for caring. Thank you for calling. Thank you for saying her name.”
They also shared a story that stopped me in my tracks – a simple moment between a father and daughter that became a lifelong memory:
“Emelee and I worked together for years at the Highland Mint. As was our tradition, I leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek before leaving. She’d had a rough day, so without thinking, I gave her a second kiss on the other cheek and said, ‘That’s for balance.’ It became our family thing – two kisses instead of one. Years later, I realized that meant I got to give her twice as many kisses in her lifetime than I ever would have. So now, I tell people: Give your loved ones two kisses. You just never know.”
The Arbuckles also included a photo of Emelee from her 23rd, and final, birthday. This Friday, she would have turned 35.
A Legacy Carried Through Water and Time
In the words of her parents, “Emelee is our legacy.” Thanks to a brick, a lighthouse and a swim, her name continues to be spoken (and remembered) with love.
Then came the words that hit me the hardest:
“Say their name. Say my daughter's name. Let me know that you think of my child.”
On Saturday, I’ll be swimming not just for clean water, but for Emelee, too.
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