Politics student dies in car crash
4th year Welland native described as enthusiastic, thoughtful, with ‘the biggest presence’
Chris Dart
Issue date: 2/12/02 Section: News
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Paul Hamilton, an associate professor of politics, who taught Lemelin for HIST 1F95, described him as “a very enthusiastic student.”
The fourth-year honours student was also an army reserve with the Lincoln and Welland regiment, where he was a corporal.
“The study of politics was a good fit with his military career,” said Hamilton.
“He was very thoughtful,” said Hamilton. “He had a kind of energetic curiosity. He was also very funny. He loved to travel. He had a lot of stories.”
This love of travel caused Lemelin to take part in Brock’s exchange with Keele University in England, near Birmingham.
“It’s a terrible shock,” said Geeta Powell, of the office of international services.
Adam Tyson was a close friend of Lemelin, and went on the exchange to Keele with him.
“He made a difference to everyone he met. We spent one year in England and he made such a difference. There’s a whole group of students from Keele University who are putting together a memorial,” said Tyson. “We were going to graduate this spring, he had plans to return to England, or else go to Australia for teachers’ college.”
“He was multi-faceted, anything he put his mind to, he was successful.”
Tyson said that Lemelin, who was bilingual, was also “a big part of the French community in Welland.
“He was a small guy, but he had the biggest presence … when he talked, people listened,” said Tyson. “He was always highly opinionated, he had very strong points of view of things, but at the same time he was very open minded. He was very big on problem solving. Politics is plagued with fence sitters, but Johnny, he tore the fence right down.”
Hamilton said that Lemelin’s specific political interests were “International relations, revolutions, political development, that sort of thing.”
“I think it’s a terrible shame, a very sad loss.”
“He was a solid guy with a very strong head on his shoulders,” said Tyson.
— with files from the St. Catharines Standard
