Andrea Elder's Obituary

Andrea Elder


OBITUARY ANDREA ELDER 1982-2006 On Wednesday, May 10, Andrea, cherished daughter of Lesley Lacate and the late Lloyd Elder, beloved sister of Matthew Elder, and dear grand-daughter of Frances Lacate, went gently into that good night; peacefully surrounded by family and friends, at the age of twenty-four, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Andrea is survived by godparents Ross and Eileen Oswald, numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, lifetime partner Sondip, best friend David, and many loving friends. Andrea spent her first four years residing in Verdun before moving with her family into their home in Ville St-Laurent. She attended Gardenview Elementary school, where she enjoyed acting and public speaking. After school, she would participate in figure skating and gymnastics. During her five years at Lauren Hill Academy, Andrea was actively involved in drama, peer mediation and running. Her favourite subject was history. Although she enjoyed studying the past, she always lived in the moment. Additionally, Andrea excelled in competitive swimming, training six days per week. Andrea lived a very full life, devoting much of her time to helping other people. As a student at Marianopolis College, where she excelled in Health Sciences, she lived its mission statement, contributing to the school and the outside community. Passionate about children, she was a dedicated volunteer and also worked as a camp counselor at Vanier College Supercamp and Trail's End, a sleep away camp for underprivileged children. Andrea's diagnosis came in January of 2003, halfway through her bachelor's degree in Psychology at McGill. Andrea graduated with honours in the Summer of 2005 and completed one year of her master's in Counseling Psychology at the same university, all while undergoing treatment. Over the past few years, Andrea made many good friends. Through her active involvement in Hope and Cope and camp Make-A-Dream. Andrea drew strength from these relationships and was a true inspiration to others confronted with life threatening illnesses. Andrea felt at home at the Jewish General Hospital, both as a patient and a volunteer. She truly loved her entire treatment team, and was especially grateful for the personalized care she received. Additional thanks to the caring staff of Notre Dame Hospital, and the Fletcher Allen Institute. Andrea loved life and never once gave up hope or happiness. She brought joy to everyone around her. Through her tenacity and strong will of character, she taught everyone around her to also appreciate life. Andrea's friends were an extended family. Having grown up with her since elementary school, they stood by her until the end. We are profoundly changed by having known her and she will remain in our hearts forever. In lieu of flowers, donations to Hope and Cope's Young Adult Division at the Jewish General Hospital would be welcome. Family will receive condolences at: 3955 C-de-Liesse (corner of Ste-Croix) St-Laurent. Funeral ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 13, at 11 a.m. in the chapel of the funeral complex. Visitation: Friday from 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m.

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