The Saint Croix Courier

St. Stephen, NB

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2007 Nov 20

Friends mourn woman's death

Photographer Jenna Sullivan remembered in St. Andrews for her spirit and smile

By BARB RAYNER

Submitted photo   Jenna Sullivan, who died in a car accident in Saskatchewan last week, is being remembered by friends here as a special person who had a smile for everyone.

A native of Four Falls, near GrandFalls, the 23-year-old was recently interviewed by the Courier on her cell phone as she travelled across Canada — something, she said, she had always wanted to do. As she made her way across the country she was freelancing with her photography.

She had produced a calendar featuring up and coming musicians from all over Charlotte County and decided to donate the proceeds from the sales to Save Passamaquoddy Bay — the group opposing liquefied natural gas developments in Maine.

Sullivan was tragically killed when her car was in collision with a school bus in Borden, west of Saskatoon, Wednesday afternoon.

According to a report in The Star Phoenix of Saskatoon, an RCMP officer said the bus was following Sullivan's car along a gravel service road when it appeared she turned in front of the bus and it ran into the driver's side of the car. Sullivan, who was alone in the vehicle, died at the scene.

The accident, which occurred about 400 metres from Borden School, is being investigated by the RCMP, Transport Canada, and the Prairie Spirit school division.The bus driver and the 12 students on board were not seriously injured.

Staff at Sweet Harvest Market, where Sullivan had worked, as well as other friends she made while living in St. Andrews, were shocked when they learned about the accident.

Owner Pam Shaw said Sullivan had just photographed a wedding in Winnipeg and was back on the road again when she collided with the school bus.

She said the young woman had worked for her this past summer and also worked there before she went away to school. Sullivan had a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree after attending UNB and the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design.

After finishing school in the spring she returned to Sweet Harvest Market, and her calendar project was born when she took a photograph of her roommate, who is a member of one of the featured bands, then they decided to donate the proceeds to Save Passamaquoddy Bay.

"We were a little family here. She was 23 years old and knew so many people. There are so many nice things to say about her. She was more than an employee, and she was so happy all the time. It helped everyone when she showed up every day with a smile," said Shaw.

She said Sullivan really enjoyed working on the calendar and they have them on sale at Sweet Harvest Market, and they are also being sold at Kennedy House as well.

Friend Andy Macumber recalled that Sullivan was a special person who had a smile for everyone she met, and said he wondered how she found the energy to do everything she did.

"She seemed to find time foreveryone in her life — family, friends and anyone in between."

He said she had a passion for the arts, particularly photography, and wanted to use that passion to help Save Passamaquoddy Bay by making the calendar which came out only a couple of weeks before she was killed.

"If she said she was going to do something — consider it a done deal. Be it something for someone in her life or a personal goal — she was true to her word," he said.

"She was having a blast on her trip across Canada, visiting her many friends and relatives along the way. She was to come back east after her trip and fly to Turkey to visit a friend.

"After that — who knows — the sky's the limit for someone as special as Jenna. She will be greatly missed but never forgotten by many friends and family that loved her deeply."

As she chatted with the Courier only a few weeks ago, the bubbly young woman talked about how much she loved taking photographs of sports and culture as well as live music shows, but thought she would eventually get into portraits with a goal of being a full-time photographer.

Born in Perth-Andover, she was the daughter of Keith and Cheryl Sullivan of Four Falls. Besides her parents, she is survived by her sister, Erin Sullivan, of Waterloo, Ont., and brother, Travis, of Cochenour, Ont.

The funeral service was held Monday from Calvary Tabernacle in Perth-Andover and memorial donations to Save Passamaquoddy Bay would be appreciated by the family.

For those who would like to make a donation in her memory, cheques should be made out to the Town of St. Andrews with "SPB/C in memory of J.L. Sullivan" in the memo line on the cheque.

The mailing address is 212 Water Street, St.Andrews, E5B 1B4.