Funeral held for murdered Sarnia teacher
Posted January 8, 2013 6:06 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Hundreds of people, including students, attended the funeral for a Sarnia kindergarten teacher who was found murdered last week.
Noelle Paquette, 27, was last seen at a New Year’s Eve party. Her body was found last Wednesday in a wooded area south of Sarnia. Two people — Tanya Bogdanovich, 31, and Michael MacGregor, 19 — were arrested in London, Ont., and charged with first-degree murder on Jan. 3.
Paquette’s funeral service was attended by about 850 people, according to Father Peter Keller, and started at 11 a.m. at St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church in Brights Grove, a community just outside Sarnia.
Student Jackson Earle, 11, came to pay tribute to his former teacher, who everyone at school called Ms. P.
He remembered her as a “very energetic” and kind teacher who’d bring food for disadvantaged students in his class.
“She was very happy, always making kids feeling better if kids were sad or down,” Jackson said. “And she just really liked to make kids feel good.”
He said that even a friend of his who didn’t have Paquette as a teacher cried Monday when she learned of her death.
“Everybody liked her even if they weren’t in her class,” he said.
Mary-Grace Blum also came to pay her respect. She said Paquette was covering a friend’s maternity leave at school.
“I just wanted to show my love and support for her,” she said.
Hundreds of people also attended a candlelight vigil held in Paquette’s honour on Monday night. Visitations were held earlier that day.
“She was so caring, so generous — a heart of gold,” said family friend Michelle Janess at the visitation. “There was nothing cruel, not a mean bone in her body.”
Bogdanovich and MacGregor, both of Sarnia, are due in court on Thursday.
