‘Be proud of your life and smile’: Fric’s girls
Slain doctor is laid to rest with emotional funeral in Windsor
Many in the crowd dabbed tears from their eyes when the two young daughters of Dr. Elana Fric spoke with such reverent maturity at her funeral mass Saturday.
Yasmin and Faiza each used a strong, clear voice as they introduced themselves to the standingroom only crowd of more than 500 at St. Francis of Assisi Church on Turner Road.
“I’m extremely grateful for everything she’s done as my mom,” said Yasmin, adding she will miss her mother’s laugh and “how much I loved to hear it. She was and still is my idol.”
Fric, a family physician at Scarborough Hospital, was born in Windsor and raised in Tecumseh.
Faiza told those in attendance that she has “a lot of good memories of my mother. She was always kind and thoughtful to others.”
Each girl read a poem and as Faiza finished hers with the line “be proud of your life and smile,” the church filled with applause.
Toronto police found Fric’s body inside a suitcase near a ravine on Dec. 1. The next day, her estranged husband, Dr. Mohammed Shamji, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Police said Fric’s body showed signs of strangulation and blunt force trauma.
Windsor’s Croatian community has rallied around Fric’s parents, Josip and Ana, who led her three children, Yasmin, Faiza and younger brother Marius into the church.
A clutch of professionals with the Ontario Medical Association formed an honour guard around Fric’s coffin.
The group of about 30 co-workers and peers had travelled to Windsor by bus to attend the service.
“We loved her, we were friends,” Dr. David Esser said of their effort.
Three physicians stood before the congregation and spoke about Fric’s life.
Dr. Lisa Salamon went to medical school with Fric and told of “the kind of person who embodied love. That’s why this loss is so pointedly tragic.”
Salamon recalled how Fric had taken up ju-jitsu and ran a marathon when she was pregnant. Both being involved in different initiatives through the OMA, Salamon said Fric would text her a funny, made-up movie title during long, tedious meetings.
Dr. Dimitra Trambakoulos shared Fric’s deep devotion to her children.
“Her greatest achievement and joy was her children,” said Trambakoulos, who said Fric never missed a performance or sporting event involving one of them. “She was the kind of mom who remembered their favourite takeout dinners, their favourite movies and jokes.”
Trambakoulos added “she will not be defined by her death but by who she was in her extraordinary life. Make someone laugh, make someone think, make someone smile.”
Rev. Joe Grbes told the gathering there are many unanswered questions surrounding the loss of Fric at age 40.
“Too many whys, too many questions, too much pain, too much hurt,” Grbes said. “Why are so many people so kind and so good? Why are so many people so evil?”
Addressing the family directly, Grbes told the children, “I believe you have an angel, somebody who will always be watching over you and somebody who will be an inspiration. I believe she will always be part of your journey.”
Many in the crowd wore a purple ribbon to raise awareness of the struggle against domestic violence.