L'Universit茅 McGill d茅plore le d茅c猫s d'une 茅tudiante
L'Universit茅 McGill a le regret d'annoncer le d茅c猫s de Kathleen 芦 Katie 禄 Currier, une 茅tudiante de 1re ann茅e 芒g茅e de 18 ans originaire d'Essex Junction (Vermont), trouv茅e sans vie dans sa chambre des r茅sidences de l'Universit茅 le samedi 3 septembre 2004.
La cause exacte du d茅c猫s n'a pas encore 茅t茅 d茅termin茅e. Les r茅sultats complets de l'autopsie qui seront disponibles dans une ou deux semaines devraient permettre d'茅lucider cette trag茅die. La police exclut tout acte suspect ou violent; les r茅sultats pr茅liminaires de l'autopsie permettent aussi d'茅carter l'hypoth猫se de la m茅ningite envisag茅e au d茅but de l'enqu锚te.
C'est le personnel des r茅sidences qui a d茅couvert le corps de Mlle Currier. Les parents de l'茅tudiante avaient contact茅 l'Universit茅 vendredi soir en constatant que leur fille, qui devait rentrer 脿 la maison pour le week-end de la F锚te du Travail, n'茅tait toujours pas arriv茅e. Le personnel des r茅sidences a v茅rifi茅 durant la soir茅e si l'茅tudiante se trouvait dans sa chambre en frappant 脿 sa porte. C'est en p茅n茅trant dans la chambre t么t samedi matin, 脿 la demande de la famille, que les responsables ont d茅couvert le corps de l'茅tudiante.
Ils ont alors imm茅diatement appel茅 la police et les services m茅dicaux d'urgence.
Dipl么m茅e avec distinction de son 茅cole secondaire et athl猫te active, Kathleen Currier pratiquait le hockey sur gazon et sur glace, ainsi que la crosse. Elle 茅tait inscrite 脿 la Facult茅 des sciences et prenait part au camp de s茅lection de l'茅quipe de crosse de McGill. Les joueurs et les entra卯neurs sont extr锚mement attrist茅s par le d茅c猫s de Katie, dont le dynamisme leur avait fait une vive impression. Selon l'entra卯neure chef, Heather Roffey, 芦 Kathleen a 茅t茅 la premi猫re 脿 se pr茅senter sur le terrain au camp d'entra卯nement, o霉 elle a manifest茅 ses qualit茅s de chef d'茅quipe.禄
La principale, Mme Heather Munroe-Blum, a rencontr茅 les parents et les autres membres de la famille de Kathleen et leur a offert ses plus sinc猫res condol茅ances au nom de l'Universit茅. Le doyen des services aux 茅tudiants, M. Bruce Shore, et les membres du Service de s茅curit茅 de l'Universit茅 ont en outre des contacts r茅guliers avec la famille pour leur offrir leur appui et leur fournir toutes les informations utiles durant cette difficile 茅preuve.
Les 茅tudiants ont organis茅 une veill茅e aux chandelles samedi soir aux r茅sidences.
芦 Les 茅tudiants sont naturellement boulevers茅s, mais il est merveilleux de les voir se r茅unir pour se r茅conforter et honorer la m茅moire de Katie 禄, souligne la directrice adjointe des r茅sidences, Mme Janice Johnson.
Des professionnels de la sant茅 mentale ont 茅t茅 mis 脿 la disposition des 茅tudiants qui avaient besoin d'aide. De plus, la directrice des r茅sidences est de garde 24 heures sur 24 et le nombre de superviseurs 茅tudiants a 茅t茅 augment茅 脿 la r茅sidence o霉 Mlle Currier habitait.
Les Services aux 茅tudiants de l'Universit茅 offrent 茅galement de l'aide psychologique 脿 tous les 茅tudiants affect茅s par cette trag茅die. Le service fun猫bre sera c茅l茅br茅 le samedi 11 septembre 脿 midi, 脿 l'脡glise First Congregational de Essex Junction. Tous ceux qui souhaitent offrir leurs condol茅ances 脿 la famille peuvent le faire par l'entremise du doyen des Services aux 茅tudiants au 514-398-8238.
Le drapeau de l'Universit茅 sera mis en berne le mercredi 8 septembre 脿 la m茅moire de Mlle Currier.
La famille de l'茅tudiante d茅c茅d茅e a fait para卯tre la notice n茅crologique suivante dans le Burlington Free Press:
09/08/2004
KATHLEEN ANNE CURRIER, ESSEX JUNCTION 鈥� Kathleen (Katie) Anne Currier, 18, died unexpectedly on Friday, Sept. 3, 2004, of natural causes. She was born Oct. 17, 1985, on her great-aunt Shirley's birthday, to complete the family of Pam and Bob Currier and her beloved brother, Stephen.
Katie attended Essex Junction schools and graduated in the top of her class from Essex High School on June 19, 2004. She remembered and cherished wonderful teachers at all her schools, and graduated with friends she had known since childhood. She had lived a lifetime of experiences, always seeking new people and new adventures.
In grade school she was a checker champion, a tap dancer, an eager student and a Brownie. She started playing the viola and began gymnastics which immediately became a passion. She loved watching her brother play hockey and piling into the Suburban with as many friends as could fit for carpool rides home. Katie was a determined Little League player, fiercely wanting to hold her own with the boys. She loved being with her wonderful grandparents and aunt Shirley who all did their best to spoil her as the only girl among her many boy cousins for a long time.
In middle school she continued to love learning but never wanted to stand out publicly among her classmates. She tried softball and track, but took to field hockey even though they wore skirts, continuing throughout high school. She shone on the ADL Gymnastics team, and decided it was time to play ice hockey instead of just watching. This became another passion, where she made new friends and was known as "Mouth" by her first coach, who threatened to make her wear a dress on the ice when she wanted to be too nice to the other team. She liked helping her grandmother in the thrift shop of the church.
High school was a time of the struggle and growth which is adolescence, but she developed into an incredible young woman. She filled her day with classes and loved everything from poetry to biology to Canadian studies. She was a four-year, three-season athlete. She lettered in gymnastics her freshman year, and was on the first varsity girls ice hockey team. She played field hockey four years and discovered lacrosse. Being captain of her ice hockey and lacrosse teams was an honor she took seriously and she worked hard to help bring her teammates together as athletes and friends. She still loved watching her brother play hockey and visiting him at college where he made her part of his life, and even there made friends who remember her. The true heart of Katie lay in her deep and unwavering devotion to her family and friends.
Without question her best friend was Stevie Hennesey, her first, true love. His incredibly loving family made her one of their own and she loved them. Knowing them was one of the most important parts of the last three years. Her life was defined by her family and friends. She looked forward to every summer "going to camp" at our Lake Fairlee cottage, which everyone knew meant water skiing, swimming, hot air balloons and croquet, shelling peas and tubing and lots of games and laughter. It was a special place for her friends, and it was where she renewed her ties to her cousins, Evan, Tyler and Davey DeSantis of California, Liz and Larkin Seiple of Seattle and Emily Seiple from Illinois, as well as those nearby, Brad, Bryan and Bryce Currier, and all her aunts and uncles.
She was beginning life as a college student at 香蕉视频 in Montreal, Canada, which offered everything she wanted; a good college to prepare her for medical school, a city with a diverse and unique culture away from home but close enough to come back often. She had begun to play lacrosse and had made good friends there from around the world. To her own family she was a touchstone of love. She was a fiercely independent thinker, deeply compassionate, and a vegetarian since she was 13. Love defined her, but she was also loyal, strong, caring and devoted, vivacious and fun-loving, determined and adventurous. She never failed to say, "I love you," every day of her life.
She is survived by her parents, Bob and Pam Currier; and her brother Stephen. She leaves adored maternal grandparents, Stan and Maureen Seiple; paternal grandmother Bernice Currier; great-aunt Shirley Wilson; uncle and aunt Bill and Vicky Currier and their sons, Brad, Bryan and Bryce; aunt and uncle Cindy and John DeSantis and their children, Tyler and Davey. Her cousin, Evan DeSantis, whom she loved dearly, passed away on Aug. 21, 2004, after a battle with cancer. She is also survived by aunts and uncles, Cheryl and Steve Savage; Andy Seiple and Debra Cederbaum and their children, Larkin, Liuz and Julia; Garth Seiple and Diane Klock and their family, Emily, Erick and Andrew with his wife, Sarah; and many extended relations. She is survived by many others important to her, especially Terry and Tom Cleveland and their children, Ben and Rachel; all her teammates and many lifelong friends.
A memorial service will be held to celebrate her life on Saturday, Sept. 11, at 12 noon in the First Congregational Church in Essex Junction, with a committal in the Fairview Cemetery following. Katie's family warmly invites everyone to their home after the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Kathleen Currier Memorial Scholarship Fund in care of Essex High School, Educational Drive, Essex Junction, Vt. 05452. Corbin & Palmer Funeral Home, 9 Pleasant St., is in charge of arrangements.
