Just before 8 a.m. this morning, Tuesday, March 16, medics and SPD officers were called to 1800 Queen Anne Ave N, at the top of the hill, where an unidentified man had reportedly passed on.

Several readers witnessed officers and what they assumed to be a body bag outside of Bethany Presbyterian Church between 9 and 9:40 a.m. this morning. One anonymous reader wrote,

There was a bright yellow bag that looked like a body bag on top of the hill on Queen Anne Ave in central strip of retail laying on the sidewalk. There were multiple police cars, officers, and a coroners office vehicle.

Although the identity of the man has not yet been released, the deceased was known at Bethany, according to the church’s Office Administrative Assistant Sylvia Lidell. “He had a relationship with our pastor. He would come to the Wednesday night dinners,” she said.

According to Head of Staff Pastor, Rev. Dan Baumgartner the man, who he estimated to be about 75 years old, had attended Bethany services for the past six or seven years and developed relationships with the staff.

“I don’t know what happened. He was not in good health,” Baumgartner said, noting that the assumption was that the man sat down on the steps sometime early in the morning, where he eventually passed.

SPD media relationship representative Renee Whitt confirmed that the body was removed from the scene this morning and that it was recorded as “a natural death.” According to Whitt, the case has been turned over to a medical examiner who will investigate further.

Baumgartner said the man lived in an apartment downtown, and had no family that he knew of. Due to the nature of the situation, he opted not to release his name.

Local Queen Anne artist Abbie Berry has transformed the tree outside Bethany Presbyterian Church on Queen Anne Ave into and outdoor art installation she hopes will bring a little warmth to the neighborhood through the generally dark and dreary winter months.

The installation is called “Peace, Peace to Those Far and Near,” and features tens of sayings, ranging from scripture to quotes from literature and historical leaders, written on gold and silver paper (laminated to shield it from the rain) dangling from the branches.

Berry, and professional artist and interior/architectural designer and member of Bethany Presbyterian, often displays work on the lawn of the church.

“I do a new installation every couple of months,” she said. “It’s kind of like my art gallery!”

And though some of the sayings are from scripture, there are sayings from “Mother Teresa and Martin Luther…St. Augustine and C.S. Lewis, so there’s kind of something for everybody,” Berry said, many of which are non-denominational.

Berry designed the sayings to flutter in the wind and catch the eyes of passersby. “I wanted it to be interactive and touch peoples’ lives,” she said.

If you haven’t stopped by to take a look yet, it’s definitely worth it. “Peace, Peace to Those Near and Far” will be up for a few more weeks – Berry hasn’t decided on a definite end date yet. As for the future, she’s planning a much bigger “guerrilla installation” in a few months time.

You can see more of Berry’s work on her website and color consulting/interior design business.