Emo’s super popular, long-serving product manager dies only two months after cancer diagnosis
Well-loved and respected Emotional Rescue stalwart and long-time product manager Toni Cresswell has sadly died having been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just two months ago.
Toni passed away peacefully at home in no pain, with her husband Ian and daughter Bryher by her side, in the early hours of Wednesday, 25 September, and will be very sadly missed by everyone who has had the good fortune to know her.
A familiar face at all industry events, from The Henries to PG Live, Toni’s infectious smile, warm heart, and incredible talents meant she was a wonderful teammate to all those at Emotional Rescue as well as aloyal and trusted friend to many in the greeting card community.
“Toni’s passing has devastated us all at Emo,” said co-owner David Greaves, “her bravery and dignity throughout this ordeal have been humbling beyond words. We are immensely proud of Toni and we’ll miss her terribly.”
Paying tribute to Toni’s character and skills, David highlighted that her “unparalleled product knowledge, insightful contributions, and sheer hard work have been instrumental in Emotional Rescue’s success over the past 28 years and we are very thankful to her”.
He added: “I’ll just check that with Toni has been my mantra for much of the last three decades. Moreover, Toni’s easy willingness to support her colleagues at a personal level made her a cherished friend to many.
“There have been lots of tears at Emo as we try to come to terms with what has happened, but there have also been lots of hugs and support for each other, and I know Toni would be very pleased to see that!”
Company MD Brett Smith had the tough job of breaking the sad news to the many Emo customers who knew Toni, and shared how she had been overwhelmed with “the messages of love and support from those in the greeting card community during her short illness” citing the wave of texts, flowers, emails, and greeting cards sent that “were of great comfort to her”.
“The whole of Emo is in shock at the moment – Toni was part of the Emo fabric for more than 28 years, and her friendship and contribution during this time is beyond measure, she will be greatly missed,” added Brett.
Toni, who gained a BA in fine art at Cheltenham Art College, cut her teeth in the card industry with Peter Reichwald and Chris Wilcox at the original Paper House publishing business, starting out in the mid 80s as an art assistant, progressing up through the ranks to studio manager.
She left in 1996 to further her career by joining Emotional Rescue, where she was always a key member of the team, doing the work of many people.
“Toni was everyone’s friend and everyone’s work mum,” Emo’s creative director Jen Rutter told PG Buzz. “She genuinely cared and always had a smile and a shoulder if needed.
“I have been incredibly fortunate to work alongside Toni for the past 28 years, her product knowledge was outstanding and the relationships she built with customers and industry colleagues were exemplary and for her, seemingly effortless.
“We all have a place in our hearts for Toni and she will be deeply missed by me and everyone at Emotional Rescue.”
In tribute to Toni, half the funds raised by the raffle at The Henries Awards event next week, 3 October, will be donated to the Pancreatic Cancer UK charity, playing a small part in helping to find ways of an early diagnosis for this invasive, fast-moving, and difficult to detect cancer.
