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Wendy Ladner-Beaudry memorial

April 12th, 2009 · 1 Comment

So many people came to Wendy’s memorial yesterday with memories and thoughts of her life, it was hard for us reporters to put it all in one story or to capture all of the emotion in the room, though we were trying. Here’s my story. My friend, Kelly Sinoski from the Vancouver Sun, also wrote a lovely one. And here’s another take from Canadian Press.

What many of us didn’t get into our stories was the sense that people who came to the celebration were sparked by Wendy’s death to express their closeness to the still living. Husbands and wives held each other’s hands tightly; mothers and daughters stood with their arms around each other; friends hugged. Her death, so mysterious and senseless, reminds all of us that life can end too abruptly, before we’ve had a chance to let people know how much they mean to us.

Wendy’s family and friends have put together at a site at www.wendymemories.com

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  • Stuart Mackinnon

    This is a tragedy that touches all of us, whether we knew Wendy or not. I can’t imagine the grief of those close to her. The memorial was a moving tribute to a vibrant, vivacious and caring person, taken from us much too soon. She gave and gave and gave. The most moving parts were, of course, from her family. The love, care and strength that she gave to her daughters shone through. They are strong , vibrant, young women, carrying a burden they should not have to. These young women showed what good parenting–mentoring, loving, forgiving–yields: Good, kind, loving citizens who make our world a better place. I didn’t know Wendy, and that is certainly my loss. Wendy too made this a better world. We all mourn her passing.