Deborah Merolla

On February 26th 2023 the world lost an incredible woman. Deborah Sheila Merolla suddenly and unexpectedly passed away, leaving behind her beloved father Bernhard Kramer, her family in Canada and in Italy and many, many friends. She was the heart and soul of her community and touched so many peoples lives in a way no one else could.Her loss has left a giant hole in all of our hearts and the world will never be the same without her. She was the most outgoing and caring person who would do anything to help anyone in need. Whether it was a ride 6 hours away on her day off, or just down the road, she would never say no. Her heart was truly made of gold and her smile could make anyone's bad day quickly be forgotten. The energy she brought into a room could be felt the minute she walked in and you always knew it was going to be a good time. She could never sit still even for a minute, you could say her hobby was just being busy even though somehow she had seen every single movie or series you could possibly imagine. She was the most independent woman I have ever known and if there was something a man could do, she could do it too. She would learn as much as she could and she was the biggest inspiration. Family, friends, community, the outdoors and all around adventures was everything to her. Unfortunately Deborah’s father Bernhard, suffered a major stroke last year along with many other complications that put him in a coma for over 2 months. He was in such poor condition that they were preparing Deb to consider the unthinkable. Deb never gave up on her father and stayed by his side as much as she possibly could. By some miracle he made a recovery, something the doctors told her was extremely unlikely. He is still left with many health complications and it will be a lifelong battle for him. Deborah quickly jumped into the role of caregiver and took over his financial expenses made possible by going away to work up north, something she was very proud and happy to do for him. Bernhard and Deb had an amazingly close relationship, he raised her as a single father and gave her the best possible childhood he could, surrounded by her loving Aunts, Uncles and her many cousins. With Deborah gone, Bernhard is now unable to support himself on the small amount he gets from his pension. She was never the one to ask for help herself and had a talent for hiding any personal issues she had, to not burden anyone. This past year Deb faced many challenges, but she knocked them down one by one determined to succeed and never gave up. Deb would have gone to the end of the earth for her father and she has helped every one of us in some way or another. Whether it be helping with fixing your sled, watching your dog, driving you somewhere you needed to be, picking up your boat or trailer for you or just being your friend. She has touched every single person and we hope that by donating to her father we can all give a little bit back to the girl who gave so much to us. Until we meet again “Don't make it weird” - Deborah