She could light up a room
Crash victim Julia Pieroway, 20, remembered for outgoing personality
Julia Pieroway will be remembered by people who knew her for her compassion, strength and bubbly personality.
Her friends say they were drawn to the young Welland woman, wanting to know about this girl who lit up a room and had a bright smile on her face.
“She was always smiling, if not laughing,” said one of her best friends, Brandi Fyfe.
The 20-year-old Pieroway worked at the Encore bar on Park Street, and lived with her parents, sister and brother.
Her friends said she died as a result of a single-vehicle crash early Sunday morning in Niagara Falls after the driver lost control of the car and hit some small trees after leaving the road. The car ended up on its roof.
Jake Pirson, 22, also of Welland, is charged with impaired driving causing death.
Fyfe said Pieroway had a love for life and a love for being with her friends. She was always taking pictures and creating memories.
She only met Pieroway this year through a mutual friend, but they were fast friends. She said after they first started talking, they hung out for the rest of the night.
“We were close from that day on,” Fyfe said. “I felt like I knew her my whole life.”
It’s a common tale among Pieroway’s friends.
Another of her best friends, Kayla Zabor, said they became close right away after meeting about a year ago. Naomi Ethier, who’s known Pieroway for six years, also became friends immediately after meeting.
Zabor said it’s hard for her to put who Pieroway was into words. Although she was fundamentally the same loving person, her constant drive to try new things, try new styles and meet new people made her different on an almost day-today basis.
Ethier said Pieroway was a wonderful friend who gave her a place to stay for a period of time when she was going through a rough time and had nowhere to go. While she stayed there, Pieroway encouraged her to get back into the swing of things and not let people get her down.
One of her favourite memories, she said, is simply sitting on Pieroway’s bed eating potato chips and sharing secrets.
“It’s hard to trust people, but it’s no problem with her,” she said. “I needed that in my life and I could never thank her enough for it.”
Zabor echoed that sentiment, saying Pieroway was always that person she could call at any time.
Niagara Regional Police have not identified Pieroway as one of the victim’s of Sunday’s crash. She was one of four people in the vehicle.
She is survived by parents Robert and Cheryl and siblings Jessica and Bobby.
According to her obituary, She was born in Halifax, and after moving to Welland attended Alexander Kuska Elementary School, Notre Dame College School and Welland Centennial Secondary School.
Family will receive friends at the H.L. Cudney Funeral Home, 241 West Main St., Welland, on Thursday 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Funeral mass will be held at St. Kevin’s church, 303 Niagara St., Friday at 10 a.m. lbarton@postmedia.com twitter.com/LBartonTribune