Leaf Dumont Kretz

My name is Alyson Caskenette Glynn.

I am creating this to support my Kretz family in our goals to honour my cousin Leaf. We would like to honour Leaf with a memorial bench at sunset beach, a place where Leaf loved to collect beach glass at. I wished I had the chance to know Leaf better in life, but they left this earth too soon.

Leaf was an amazing human, a bold advocate, a teacher, a mentor, an artist, an inspiration and true kindred spirit to her family, friends and all people that crossed her path.

We are hopeful with the go fund me, we can raise money to have a bench placed at Sunset Beach in their honour as well as plant some trees in some of their favourite spots. Another family goal is to raise money towards creating an annual scholarship at the last school they taught at for a graduating student at St. Catharines Collegiate High School. This scholarship recipient would demonstrate Leafs legacy with a passion for environmental ethics, social change and promotion of inclusiveness.

Please consider helping us make a space we can visit Leaf at, watch the trees grow and influence the young generation in her legacy.

Below is the epic tribute Leaf's brother wrote.

Writen by David Kretz:

In loving Memory of

Leaf Dumont Kretz

1977 - 2025

Scholar, Mentor, Unicorn

Leaf lived a life routed in purpose,

compassion and unshakable dedication to social justice. They immense love for their family siblings and niblings. They were a cherished sibling, child, cousin, friend, teacher - a person whose brilliance was matched only by the depth of their heart. Leaf was tireless in the pursuit of knowledge, not for the sake of prestige, but for the promise of liberation. As a professor, writer and artist they created spaces for learning that were brave, transformative, and fiercely inclusive.

They guided students and colleagues alike through the complexities of feminism, structural oppression and subtle violence embedded in normalized systems of identification.

With clarity and care, Leaf helped others see what had long been

hidden - and to enable them to imagine something better.

Their work was not limited to the page or classroom. Leaf believed deeply in dialog, in slowing down to ask hard questions, sitting in discomfort as a path towards healing.

They facilitated conversations that were raw, vulnerable, and real - conversations that changed people.

They did not shy away from conflict or pain, because they knew that the work of unlearning and reconstruction demanded both courage and tenderness.

Leaf carried immense hope for a more equitable and loving world, and they worked every day to make it real. Their

commitment was unrelenting, and optimism never naive - it was a choice, a discipline, a form of resistance. Leaf lived in deep alignment with their values, and their commitment to compassion extended to every living being.

They were a devoted vegan by choice, not out of trend, but from a steadfast belief that no creature should suffer for human convenience. Their love for animals was fierce, and tender, and they were a strong advocate for those without a voice.

Daily, Leaf nourished their spirit through meditation and soulful singing to help them find peace and clarity.

Of course, it would be impossible to speak of Leaf without acknowledging their unmistakable touch of magic. While some might call it eccentricity, those who knew them the best understood that Leaf was, at least partially, not of this world. Their magic was less about spectacle and more about presence - a way of seeing the world that reminded the rest of us how to wonder, listen and believe.

Though they left this world far too soon, their impact is indelible. Leaf's idea's, writing, art and a way of being have rippled outward across communities, institutions, and hearts. Leaf made us better- more honest, more curious, more human. They will be deeply missed by all that knew and learned from them. The space they leave behind is immense, but too is the legacy they've gifted us.

Thank you inadvance for any donation that can keep the exstrodadary inspiring legacy of Leaf continuing in their honour.

Love from the Kretz Family

Leaf's Ted Talk, inspiring to watch:

Bridging the Theory to Action: Hope and Climate Change.