SCHOLARSHIP NAMED FOR WORLD TRAVELLER
Patrick Dupuis-Dufresne had big dreams and ambitions before his life was cut short
Patrick Dupuis-Dufresne was a poet, musician, artist and a staunch environmentalist who was driven by wanderlust.
By the age of 22, he had travelled to more countries than most people will visit in a lifetime. He criss-crossed parts of the United States, he’d been to Italy, Denmark, the Philippines, Russia and Germany, just to name a few.
A mechanical engineering student at École Polytechnique, he had only been in Taiwan for two weeks on a student exchange at National Chiao Tung University when his young life was cut short by a tragic accident on Feb. 24, 2017. The promising future of a bright and congenial young man with aspiring entrepreneurial dreams, gone in a split second.
For his parents, Patricia Dupuis and Benoit Dufresne, it was unbearably devastating. As a parent myself, I can’t imagine the pain and grief they must be feeling.
At his funeral in PointeClaire, it was clear how loved he was by everyone who knew him. According to his friends, Patrick could walk into a room a stranger to everyone, but would leave as best friends with everyone. Somehow, he left an indelible mark on all those who had a chance to meet and get to know him, even in a short time.
In her Baie-d’Urfé home, his mother Patricia is surrounded by photos of her Patrick’s myriad adventures, many of which she shared with him.
There are camping trips, ski trips, tropical vacations and, more recently, a junket around Sweden, Denmark and Norway after one of Patrick’s student exchanges when Patricia went over to help him pack up his apartment.
To say mother and son were close is an understatement. It was always the dream to start a business together when he graduated from university, something that would save the world. Ambitious maybe, but worthy of dreaming about. They talked about environmental projects using alternative energy sources, which led to Patrick’s desire to explore energy-efficient buildings in his eventual professional career.
In spite of her grief, or maybe because of it, Patricia is ensuring her son’s legacy lives on. She says Patrick left her with many projects which she will fulfil in memory of her son.
She is establishing the Patrick Dupuis-Dufresne Scholarship Fund at the ASHRAE Foundation, which would have been his professional association. He belonged to the student branch at École Polytechnique.
Furthermore, Patricia is making a donation to West Island Citizen Advocacy, which aims to improve the quality of life for those living with a handicapping condition, whether it be an intellectual or physical challenge.
As a former music teacher for 23 years, Patricia worked with many students with special needs and understands the importance of supporting those with challenges. With her music program, she was able to reach out to many students who just needed a little extra support.
There’s an expression: “The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long.”
Patrick Dupuis-Dufresne’s flame burned out much too early.