Goan Voice, Canada : People Places and Things

Garden honours Brendon's memory

THE MISSISSAUGA NEWS
JOHN STEWART
Sep 19, 2003

Eleven-year-old Samantha deSouza rests on her father Leonard's shoulder at the opening of a peace garden at St. Edith Stein school in honour of her late brother, Brendon, who died of leukemia last year.

In a poem he composed during the last months of his life, Brendon deSouza wrote that, "friends are reliable. They are always there, rain or shine."
Yesterday, at a memorial service held as they unveiled a new peace garden in his honour at St. Edith Stein School, it appeared as though Brendon was true to his word.

Just a few seconds after the emotional service ended, you could hear gasps as students looked over the Osprey Woods Blvd. school and saw a rainbow in the sky.

Principal Cathy Saytar returned to the microphone to say, "just to bring it to your attention, Brendon is here with us, if you take a look at the sky. Thank-you, Brendon."

Brendon managed to attend his first day of Grade 7 classes at Edith Stein before he died from leukemia on Sept. 13, 2002.

At yesterday's ceremony, Brendon's mother Judy told the 600-plus students that, "Brendon is here with us now and will continue to be with us always."

The peace garden concept was developed by a committee of Brendon's best friends, school staff and parents. Several of his classmates, dressed in the jerseys of Brendon's favourite team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, spoke yesterday how they became very close as Brendon fought for his life.

"Brendon deSouza had too short a life for such a wonderful person," said Robert Pavan. "He was always full of hope and happiness."

The students chose four words that would be embedded in the garden to symbolize Brendon's spirit: "Friendship, love, faith and peace."

Maria's award will help children in Catholic Church Hall in Repulse Bay on Arctic Circle
	Maria Fraser, winner of Dr. Ribeiro Goan School Ex-Students, Canada Award of Excellence, attended the 2003 Goan School Reunion and met more than 20 of her classmates. To see Pictures click here. The award given by Mrs. Ester Souza Ribeiro, daughter of Dr. Rosendo Ribeiro. Maria, a heath nurse in Repulse Bay, Nunavut, and Class of '63 says...
"I plan to use it to help the kids who attend evening games at the local Catholic Church Hall. It does not take very much to make them happy hence the $500 will go a long way."
For more on Maria see: Letters from Maria.... http://goacom.com/culture/biographies/mariaw.html Award of Excellence presented to Maria http://goacom.com/news/news99/sep/msg00053a.html