Family and friends gathered in Calgary on Saturday to share memories of a Calgary homicide victim and mother of an 11 year-old girl.
Chelsea Davidenas is being remembered as a person who brought joy to the lives of everyone who knew her.
“She would brighten up a room,” said her brother Jeremey McQueen. “She was always a positive influence and she had the kindest soul. She would always care for another person before herself. It’s just amazing that how she could keep that up throughout her life,”
Photos of Davidenas at the celebration of life on Saturday portrayed a happy young woman and a graduate of Louise Dean School in Calgary.
Her mother Tammy Woods said she will always remember her daughter’s bright smile and her perkiness.
“She always had to make people laugh. Her personality was just overwhelming and I will miss her but we do have her daughter now,” Woods said.
A fundraiser has been set up for Davidenas’ daughter’s education.
Woods said Davidenas was a strong woman, but that the power of addiction was hard to overcome.
“Unfortunately drugs have a way of taking over a person‘s life. There’s not enough assistance for especially for females to get away from abusive situations,” Woods said.
Police say Chelsea was lured into a home in Rundlehorn in north east Calgary in the early hours of Feb. 17 by two men she knew.
Two men have been charged with first degree murder in connection with her death.
“There’s a lot of people struggling out there right now. Everyone needs support and we hope that there’s more programs available for young women because they’re in the most vulnerable situation. It’s hard for them to make those changes in their lives when they need to,” McQueen said.
McQueen chooses to think about the happy times he shared with his little sister – watching movies and travelling together.
“We would really like to be able to think about the good times with her and not the last little bit. I think she had a lot of very good years. She has a very beautiful daughter and a lot of people who love her,” McQueen said. “I hope everyone can remember Chelsea for the special person she was,”
McQueen said she loved art and poems and would have loved to be remembered for how much she believed in everyone else.
Chelsea’s family hopes the tragedy encourages others seek help for addictions and to speak without shame about abuse.
“We just hope that in the future there will be more help for women in need,” Woods said.
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