Stéphanie Lacroix is being remembered for her laugh, smile and all-around goodness.
The 25-year-old was killed Sunday, March 10 in the Ethiopian Airlines crash. A celebration of her life is being held this weekend.
Originally from Timmins, Stephanie was working as a junior professional consultant with the United Nations Association in Canada (UNAC) in Ottawa. Sunday, she was headed to Nairobi, Kenya, to lead a youth delegation at the United Nations Environment Assembly.
“We miss her immensely and will treasure the years that we were given with her,” said Stéphanie’s mom Sylvie Lamarche Lacroix.
She said her daughter’s desire to make a difference in the world was sparked while in high school at Ecole secondaire catholique Theriault.
That’s where she participated in Projet amour communautaire, which has participants volunteer locally and in Jamaica.
At the University of Ottawa, Stéphanie’s original goal was to be a primary school teacher.
“She had earned money babysitting and working in summer camps throughout high school and loved kids,” she said. “Since there were no prerequisites for her undergrad degree, Stéphanie chose to study something she was interested in. By the end of the first semester, she was hooked on International Development and Globalization and never looked back.”
After completing a one-year contract with the World University Service of Canada in Malawi, Stephanie was hired in her position with UNAC.
“She was responsible for accompanying youth delegations to UN conferences in Poland, Kenya and New York. Her previous work, however, was on a broader scale,” she wrote.
Sunday’s crash, said Lamarche Lacroix, was “an unimaginable tragedy for our family, our friends, Steph’s friends and colleagues as well as for Canada and the world. That being said, we have tremendous support from all of the above mentioned, which brings us comfort.”
Stephanie is survived by parents Alain Lacroix and Sylvie Lamarche Lacroix, and sister Dominique Lacroix (Jeremiah).
A celebration of life is being held this Saturday, March 16 at 4 p.m. in the Charles Fournier Auditorium at Ecole secondaire catholique Theriault. There will be a second one March 30 at 4 p.m. at the University of Ottawa, Pavillion Tabaret.
The Fondation humanitaire Stéphanie Lacroix has also been set up to encourage others to continue her humanitarian work.
Her obituary, as well as links to donate to the foundation, is available here.
