‘Thomas did not cry out’
Hundreds attend memorial for St. Albert boy killed by bus
Slow piano music played as more than 500 people filed into a church Friday night to commemorate the life of a St. Albert boy struck and killed by a bus.
Children, parents, teachers, police and community members turned out at North Pointe Church on 167th Avenue for the public memorial.
At the front of the dimly lit room were two large screens displaying photographs of the smiling six-year-old, along with the words: “In Loving Memory of Thomas Wedman.”
A bouquet of light yellow lilies sat near an altar.
The crowd stood as parents Sheri and Jeff Wedman, along with their two surviving sons, Ethan and Isaac, walked down the centre aisle.
“Thomas is an angel now, this much is true. However, the truth of the matter is Thomas has always been an angel,” Jeff Wedman told the crowd, his voice breaking as he went on to describe the happiness his son’s six years had brought their family.
“God sent him into our lives to bring us joy, happiness, wonderment and peace, and Thomas did just that.”
The father rarely looked up from the podium, only making eye contact with his family, sitting together in the aisle closest to the podium.
As he described the morning of the accident, many parents began to cry and hold their own children tightly.
“Thomas, Isaac and I were walking to school. As always, Thomas was having a great time, laughing and running with his brother, and then, without warning, our lives changed forever,” he said.
“Thomas did not cry out in fear or pain; he was just swallowed up and left this world.”
Jeff Wedman also shared a series of videos that his son had recorded of himself with an IPod he had purchased with allowance money a few months prior to his death. The videos depicted an imaginative and fun-loving little boy, introducing home videos of his water bottle, teddy bears, toys and “stuffies.”
Marie Gamache-Hauptman and Tawyna Schile, the principal and vice-principal of Thomas’ school Ecole Marie Poburan, walked to the stage together to honour Thomas, whom they called “their special little one.”
Schile read statements from Thomas’ Grade 2 classmates, describing their memories of the energetic and friendly boy.
“Mark said: ‘Thomas was so nice to me, because he would always play with me.’ Erica shared: ‘Thomas, he filled my heart with joy,’ ” Schile read.
The principal also shared a photo of crosses made by Thomas’ classmates and placed on his desk as a vigil for him in their classroom.
Thomas was hit by a bus on Friday, Sept. 27, while walking to school with his dad and older brother.
No charges have been laid in the case.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to be made to the Human Organ Procurement and Exchange Program.