March 31, 2011
Mourners gather for
memorial service
by Vance Gutzman
Michelle Cameron's life was sadly and tragically taken away from her,
but those who knew her best came together as one on Friday to remember
the young woman's love of life.
A service of thanksgiving and remembrance was held at the Deep River
Community Church to pay homage to the 27-year-old woman, who died March
15 in what is believed to be Deep River's first homicide.
Her father-in-law, John Craig Cameron, 52, has been charged with first
degree murder in her death.
Friday's service was organized by Cameron's co-workers at AECL, where
she worked as a process mechanical designer with the process mechanical
engineering branch.
The Community Church was filled to capacity, not only with her
co-workers, but many other members of the community who were shocked
and saddened by her untimely passing.
"It's good that we gather as a community, because at times like this we
simply need to," Reverend Paul Evans told those in attendance.
"We draw on the strength and compassion of one another."
In addition to reciting readings from the Ecclesiastes, Evans also
offered up a heartfelt verse by the poet Merritt Malloy, which left
many people close to tears.
When I die if you need to weep
Cry for your brother or sister
Walking the street beside you
And when you need me put your arms around anyone
And give them what you need to give me.
I want to leave you something
Something better than words or sounds.
Look for me in the people I've known or loved
And if you cannot give me away
At least let me live in your eyes and not on your mind.
You can love me most by letting hands touch hands
By letting bodies touch bodies
And by letting go of children that need to be free.
Love doesn't die, people do
So when all that's left of me is love
Give me away.
Evans also reminded the people who came to pay their respects to
Cameron that they should bear thoughts about the meaning of life itself
as they move forward with their own lives.
"It causes us to pause and appreciate its beauty and its promise, its
fragility and its vulnerability," Evans said.
"Today we celebrate the remembering of Michelle's life."
Judging from comments made by her friends and co-workers at the
service, Michelle's life will be remembered for many years and for
many, many reasons.
"There is a grief that cannot be spoken," Andrew Edgerton said in his
address at the service.
"There is a loss so profound that even the strongest among us are
having a hard time coping."
That being said, Edgerton urged those who knew Cameron to remember not
so much the tragic circumstances of her death, but rather her
"extraordinary charisma and beautiful personality" that she brought to
the forefront in life.
"We're here because she touched our lives in one way or another, and
we're all better people for it," he said.
"Stop and think for a moment about all that is good in your lives.
We're all sad. We're all sad, but Michelle always told us, 'Well, suck
it up'."
Heather Etmanskie expressed similar sentiments about the positive and
outgoing manner in which Cameron approached life.
"She was beaming with confidence," Etmanskie remembered of her
co-worker.
"I was the lucky one who got to share an office with Michelle. She knew
her stuff and she knew it well. I felt the energy she conveyed and I
fed off it.
"I will remember her forever."
So will Bev Kidd, another co-worker who spent a lot of time with
Cameron outside of the workplace, running.
"She was a young mom, working full-time," Kidd said of Cameron.
"The runs were a welcome relief to her, both physically and
emotionally."
Kidd also spoke of her and Cameron's shared love of fashion, and noted
how her late friend would have loved to have been with her at the
recent Fashion Week events held in Ottawa.
Then again, maybe she was there after all.
"I could feel her right beside me," Kidd said.
"I think she was enjoying the show as much as I was. I go forward
knowing I will always carry a part of her with me."
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