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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Young mom loved to connect

Family donates her organs to ease trauma of 'senseless tragedy'

By: Gabrielle Giroday

Posted: 04/18/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Kendall Wiebe died April 8. (FACEBOOK PHOTO )

The service didn't answer why Kendall Ann Wiebe was taken from her family after a freak car crash. But, with the evocative words of those who loved her, it helped shine a warm light on a young mother who died too early.

Hundreds of people filled Westwood Community Church Tuesday afternoon for a service to honour Wiebe, who died April 8, a day after a Jeep Liberty plowed into the Ultracuts hair salon at Crestview Shopping Centre on Portage Avenue.

The 27-year-old was the mother of a four-year-old girl, Brynn, and helped raise a nine-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl with her partner, Steve Cancilla. Art Wiebe, Kendall's father, told the group that minutes before the crash Wiebe had been on the phone with her mother.

"Kendall loved to connect with people," he said.

Wiebe's love of the phone as she grew up once led to a bill of more than $600 in one month. Luckily, the family had an unlimited phone plan.

The day of the crash, at 5:25 p.m., Wiebe spoke to her mother from work.

She'd often call four or five times a day -- talking about "what her day looked like, how she was feeling, her work, her challenges, but most of all, she shared the news and exciting experiences with her daughter, Brynn," her father recalled Tuesday.

"Kendall talked about how busy the day had been. She hadn't had time to take a break or eat lunch. She was looking forward to closing up the hair salon," he said. "(Kendall said), 'Gotta go. Love you, Mom. See you tomorrow.' "

They hung up at 5:35 p.m.

Ten minutes later, a Jeep Liberty smashed into the front of the business, sending emergency crews rushing to the strip mall.

At 6:55 p.m., her parents got a phone call and found out she'd been seriously injured.

The next day, Wiebe was dead.

Her family said she'll live on.

Wiebe's love of art manifested itself in sketches and paintings, carefully decorated cupcakes and in family recipes she learned to master.

Her organs -- which were donated after a decision by her family and her partner's family -- helped as many as 18 people.

"Although a very difficult decision to make, this unified support in a very minute way helped to make some limited heart-breaking sense for such a senseless tragedy," said Art Wiebe.

At the end of the service, Wiebe's family silently trailed out, including Lyndsey Johnston, her co-worker who was injured in the crash.

A spray of white lilies sat at the back of the church next to photos of Wiebe hamming it up for the camera with a goofy dance pose or cuddled around her sisters.

Police have not announced any charges against the 32-year-old driver involved in the crash.

A trust fund has been established at the Assiniboine Credit Union, called the Kendall Wiebe/Cancilla Memorial Fund.

gabrielle.giroday@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 18, 2012 B5

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