Tom Wright first opened Jasper Rock and Jade 35 years ago, and until he passed away at the age of 66 last year, he devoted much of his life to the place.
鈥淛asper Rock and Jade was [Tom鈥檚] life, it was his baby. He didn鈥檛 have any children, but he put his heart and soul into the shop,鈥� said Anna Murray.
Murray, who started working with Wright in 2006 at what was supposed to be a temporary position, now co-owns the shop with her husband, Neil Byatt.
鈥淚t was supposed to be a sort of short-term, temporary thing. But reuniting with Tom was great. We found out we had a lot in common, I had been collecting crystals for years, and we found out we shared a lot of the same passions,鈥� Murray said.
Around that time Murray also met Byatt, who is now her husband, and co-owner of the business. Murray explained that Wright had been looking for someone to pass the business off to, so he began grooming her and Byatt for that role.
They eventually took over from Wright on April 1 of last year, just three months before Wright died peacefully in his sleep.
The Jasper Rock and Jade Wright opened with a business partner in 1979 was a far cry from the establishment it is today. Byatt and Murray explained that for the first few years of its existence the business was essentially just a standard gift shop, selling t-shirts, caps and trinkets.
Byatt explained that the original store sat in an old house on Connaught Drive, and contained several small rooms that were packed from floor to ceiling with merchandise.
鈥淲hen you look at photographs of the old place, you could not see a single square inch of counter,鈥� Byatt said.
But after Wright bought out his partner a few years into the business, things gradually began to change.
鈥淥nce Tom was running the show on his own, he changed gears a bit,鈥� Murray said. 鈥淗e wanted to separate himself from the herd, kind of thing.鈥�
Before opening the store, Wright had worked as both a geologist and a chef, so he took those two passions and geared the store towards them. Gradually, Byatt explained, the t-shirts and trinkets began to disappear from the shelves, and were replaced by what the store is known for today: its rocks and minerals, and its kitchen utensils.
According to Byatt, in 1990 Jasper Rock and Jade moved to a newer building on Connaught Drive, where it still sits today. Around this time, Wright also began selling fudge at the store, which Murray explained he started doing to bring life to the 鈥渄ead zone鈥� in the store鈥檚 left corner.
Murray and Byatt said Wright鈥檚 death last July hit them both very hard. Wright never really retired, he would often come in to the shop and talk to customers even after he handed the business over.
鈥淚t was all coming together, then unfortunately Tom passed away. So he only really got three months of retirement,鈥� Byatt said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been pretty tough since then, not having him around. We expected him to be around for a long, long time,鈥� Byatt said, explaining that Wright was very much a father figure in both his, and especially Murray鈥檚, life, eating Christmas dinners at their house and acting as a grandfather to their daughter.
With Wright gone, they know the business will never be quite the same, but they also hope it will continue to serve as his legacy.
鈥淭he shop has evolved, and we hope it will continue to evolve as time goes on. But you still feel Tom here all the time,鈥� Murray said.
鈥淲e want to keep it something that Tom would still be proud of.鈥�
