p.e.i. paramedics mike mackenzie, jenna croucher remembered for selflessly giving to community
6 minute read
members of island ems accompany the hearse during the regimental funeral service and procession for paramedic mike mackenzie, which took place from the delta hotel in charlottetown in the afternoon of friday, july 17.
dave stewart/the guardian
a few weeks ago, robin croucher told his wife he needed to start thinking about the speech he would give at his daughter’s wedding.
“i could never have imagined i’d be here today delivering her eulogy,” he said. “no parent should ever be faced with writing their child’s eulogy.”
robin shared those words friday as family, friends, co-workers and first responders gathered to celebrate the life of 23-year-old paramedic jenna croucher, who was killed july 7 when the ambulance she was travelling in collided with a transport truck near melrose, n.b.
croucher’s colleague, mike mackenzie, and their patient, anne martell, also died in the crash.
robert croucher speaks at the funeral service july 17 for his daughter, jenna, at the delta hotel in charlottetown. the 23-year-old paramedic from nine mile creek was killed while on duty july 7. her father is p.e.i.’s education minister.
screengrab
croucher’s service
the service opened with prayer and music before loved ones shared memories of jenna, describing her as fiercely independent, deeply compassionate and someone who devoted herself to caring for others.
her father reflected on jenna’s childhood, recalling that she arrived three weeks early and “was doing it her way” from the very beginning. he said that determination never left her.
“she defended the weak and the vulnerable, and she did that without hesitation,” he said.
her father, who has also worked as a paramedic and is now p.e.i.’s education minister, said those qualities made paramedicine a natural choice for the young woman.
“she was made for this job.”
a proud family of paramedics, jenna croucher, left, poses with her sister, lesley, and father robin. jenna was killed in an ambulance crash in new brunswick july 7. her funeral service was held in charlottetown on july 17.
contributed
robin croucher also shared memories about jenna’s excitement as she planned her wedding to her fiancé, morgan, which was scheduled for september, and the gratitude she carried through everyday life.
after her death, robin said he looked through her day planner and found page after page listing things she was thankful for, including family, morgan, sunsets, music and simple moments.
her childhood friend jalyn chapman, who was to be one of jenna’s bridesmaids, remembered their friendship that began in kindergarten and lasted, even after her family moved to nova scotia.
advertisement
“if you mattered to jenna, she made the effort. every. single. time,” chapman said.
she described jenna as someone who remembered the small details of people’s lives and had an uncommon ability to make everyone feel welcome.
“she made people feel important because, to her, they were,” she said.
emergency vehicles accompany the regimental funeral procession for jenna croucher july 17 in charlottetown.
dave stewart
/
the guardian
fellow paramedic priscilla currie said jenna quickly became more than a co-worker after first meeting her as a holland college paramedic student.
“she had a way of making people feel seen, feel heard and feel safe,” priscilla said. “our patients knew they were in good hands, and they truly were.”
robin ended his eulogy by reading a message printed on bookmarks distributed in jenna’s memory, encouraging people to smile often, say “i love you,” help those in need and find joy in life’s simple moments.
“when you find yourself at a crossroads, or are faced with a difficult decision,” the message read, “ask yourself, ‘what would jenna do?’”
a regimental funeral procession followed the service.
the regimental funeral procession begins for jenna croucher july 17 from the delta hotel on the charlottetown waterfront. croucher, a paramedic, was killed along with her colleague, mike mackenzie, and their patient, anne martell, on july 7 when their ambulance collided with a transport truck in new brunswick.
dave stewart
/
the guardian
mackenzie’s service
later in the day, at the memorial service for mackenzie, family members, colleagues and friends remembered the longtime paramedic as a devoted father, mentor and community leader whose greatest legacy was the people whose lives he touched.
mike mackenzie, 56, of warren grove, p.e.i., was one of the paramedics killed with their patient in a collision in melrose, n.b., on july 7.
contributed
mackenzie’s daughter, maria mackenzie, delivered the eulogy alongside her two brothers, describing her father as someone who always put others before himself.
“my father was not only my father, but a leader to a lot of people, a shoulder to cry on, a companion, a partner, a surrogate father to many, and the love of my mother’s life,” she said.
the regimental funeral service and procession for paramedic mike mackenzie was held in the afternoon of july 17 at the delta hotel in charlottetown. his children, reilly, jakob, and maria, spoke of their father’s compassion for others.
screengrab
while reading a letter addressed to her father, maria recalled the many ways he cared for his family, from fixing scraped knees and broken cars to listening when life became tough.
“you always fixed it,” she said. “you didn’t always know how, but you always made it work.”
advertisement
she said her father taught his children to love unconditionally, stay positive and stand by one another.
the service also highlighted mackenzie’s more than 35-year career as a paramedic.
charlottetown police, rcmp and island ems members take part in the regimental funeral procession for paramedic mike mackenzie, friday, july 17. dave stewart
dave stewart/the guardian
james orchard, general manager of island ems and medicom atlantic, said mackenzie began his career in nova scotia before bringing his compassion and experience to p.e.i.
orchard said mackenzie led many of the organization’s community outreach including creating nitro, the island ems community outreach dog.
“it was mike’s idea. it was mike’s dream,” orchard said.
the funeral procession for paramedic mike mackenzie stops at st. dunstan’s basilica in charlottetown on friday, july 17.
dave stewart
/
the guardian
mike cassidy, a friend and mackenzie’s employer at coach atlantic maritime bus, remembered him as someone who was always willing to help others.
“always had the smile, always made you feel good,” cassidy said.
reading a message from one of the company’s tourism partners, cassidy said staff always looked forward to working with mackenzie because “he was the kindest, most genuine person.”
lined the streets
meanwhile, outside both services, people lined downtown streets awaiting the regimental processions for the paramedics. busy construction zones fell quiet as the sombre parades rolled by.
supporters fill queen street outside the delta hotel in charlottetown where the funeral service was held july 17 for paramedic mike mackenzie, who was killed july 7 in a collision in new brunswick along with his colleague jenna croucher and their patient. croucher’s funeral was held at the same location earlier in the day.
dave stewart
/
the guardian
dawn watson, 60, of charlottetown, stood on queen street as the procession began for croucher. watson used to work with health p.e.i. and ambulance operators.
“i am here to honour and respect the people that run into harm, they don’t run away from it,” said watson. “we were taught from a very early age to respect (them). these people, their life’s work is to save the rest of us.”
she added, “i have such an admiration for these men and women who look after us. if there is a supreme being, they were obviously needed elsewhere. they had so much to live for.”
emergency personnel stand at attention as an honour guard leads the regimental funeral procession for paramedic mike mackenzie july 17 in charlottetown.
dave stewart
/
the guardian
marjorie saunders, who is in p.e.i. visiting family, happened by croucher’s procession july 17.
advertisement
“i look at that flag and see it curled up,” saunders said, referring to the large canadian flag that the procession went under. “that’s what my heart feels like.”
pamela berge, visiting from newfoundland and labrador, saw the flag and was not able to contain her emotions.
“my heart is breaking right now,” berge said, struggling to get the words out. “this is just so hard.”
her sister, joan keough, also from newfoundland, said, “we are here to honour all of our service people. to see the flag, that hurts my heart.”
in the afternoon, joseph angelini and his family, who are vacationing in p.e.i. and heard about the july 7 ambulance fatalities, came down to the procession for mackenzie to pay their respects.
“they never get enough respect i find on any level,” said angelini, who is a funeral director in brampton, ont., that handles many of the province’s first responder funerals.
“people always look at how much these guys get paid, but you can’t put a price for people who put their lives on the line for what they do. they are the first ones in all the time.”
debbie peters of charlottetown was sitting across from the delta hotel watching the charlottetown fire department put up the large canadian flag that flew above the processions.
“we are here to pay our respects to the islanders who give their life and my heart goes out to the woman who was being transported,” peters told the guardian.
“this makes you proud to be an islander when you see the depth of respect that has been here ever since this has happened. it deepens the reality of people laying down their lives in service to us.”
pat poole of saint john was sitting next to peters and has been marvelling at how the island has come together since the collision.
“for me, we didn’t expect to be here, but there is a sense of solidarity for all of this,” poole said. “they were on their way to saint john and they were from here. i have so much sympathy for the friends and the family of the first responders.”
advertisement
with files from dave stewart
vivian ulinwa is a reporter for the guardian in prince edward island. she can be reached at vulinwa@postmedia.com and followed on x @vivian_ulinwa.
share story
