The group of St. FX students who travelled to Newfoundland for Peddle's funeral. A few other travellers are pictured, along with Peddle's youngest sister, Maria: back row third from left. (Photo courtesy of Maggie Parks)
St. FX students flew to N.L. to celebrate crash victim’s life
Memorial service to be held at school Thursday night
(1)A group of 20 St. Francis Xavier University students are arriving back this week from what was a bittersweet trip to Newfoundland.
Robyn Peddle, a second-year student at their school, died Jan. 5 while driving alone in her car.
Police say she was heading east on Highway 104 in Auld's Cove at around noon and collided with a westbound vehicle trying to make a turn into a driveway. She died at the scene.
A memorial service will be held for the 19-year-old in the university chapel on Thursday at 7 p.m.
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Robyn Peddle (Photo courtesy of Maggie Parks)
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Robyn Peddle singing a cover of Sting's "Fields of Gold." It was played at her funeral on Jan. 10. Clip provided by VOCM radio in N.L. (4.92 MB clip)
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Facebook memorial groups for Robyn:
- "in loving memory of robyn peddle. rip, beautiful. xo”
- “In Memory of Robyn Peddle”
Thousands of people have joined these groups to share thoughts and poems about Robyn, record songs for her, and post pictures.
St. FX school chaplain Father Danny MacLennan has seen the student body through a very hard week.
"I was the one who brought the news to Robyn's roommates that Robyn had been killed."
MacLennan says he remained at the apartment where she lived while her roommates contacted friends who came over.
The students' decision to go to Peddle's hometown was almost immediate, MacLennan recalls.
"I think they felt a special connection with Robyn and wanted to continue that journey with her back to Newfoundland, and her home, and a place that meant so much to her."
Frances Tibollo was one of Peddle's roommates in Antigonish and will be delivering the eulogy at Thursday night's memorial. She and 10 others were the first to arrive in St. John's last Thursday morning.
The first night they were there, Tibollo says the group visited the Peddle home in Portugal Cove and spent time with Robyn's parents and two younger sisters, Christine, 17, and Maria, 12.
"That was an amazing experience. Just being with her family and being in Robyn's environment where she grew up meant a lot to us."
'A place that meant so much to her'
Tibollo said none of them knew what to expect while flying over, but they were met with everything from rented vans to discounted hotel rooms, all from friends and family who just wanted to help out.
Robyn Peddle's cousin in Newfoundland, Rebekah Peddle, says the presence of the St. FX students was powerful.
"Her parents were really touched that everybody came."
Rebekah said that the group spoke of how inspiring she was. From near and far, hundreds came out to show what Peddle meant to many different communities.
"It was unbelievable to see somebody that could touch so many people, and accomplish so much, and have so much warmth, and such little coldness, and such little judgment, at such a young age. She was just so wise," said Rebekah, when speaking about growing up with Robyn.
Robyn Peddle was no average student at St. FX. According to McLennan and others, she was an active member of the student-run campus police and a member of the Celtic society. She was also very musically talented and used to sing the anthem at varsity sporting events.
She started her university career in music, but had switched to political science and, according to her cousin, had plans to go on to law school.
She was involved in countless musical endeavours throughout her short life. Some highlights included recording her first album when she was eight years old, writing and performing original songs and playing the bodhran for the Celtic Fiddlers in Newfoundland.
'She wouldn't have wanted people to be sad and stuck in despair'
Rebekah said the funeral reflected her background in music, featuring choral and instrumental groups made up of people who meant a lot to Peddle.
One of the most special parts for Tibollo and Rebekah was when a recording of Peddle singing was played. It was of Sting's "Fields of Gold." She had taped it professionally just a few weeks ago while home for the holidays.
"The music was really special because most of it was pretty hopeful," Rebekah said.
"She wouldn't have wanted people to be sad and stuck in despair."
The group from St. FX spent time visiting places around town that were meaningful to Robyn. Some even got tattoos to remember her by.
MacLennan, who also made the trip over, thinks it was important for the group to be part of the celebration of her life in Newfoundland.
"Her sister gave a eulogy and it just kind of completed everything, I think, for our students," MacLennan said.
Sarah Furey, vice-president of communications with the student union at St. FX, said Peddle's death is heavy in everyone's hearts.
"She was an involved student, so you could feel it. And you can still feel it across campus -- the pain that people are dealing with right now."
MacLennan says this is the third St. FX student killed in a car accident in the past year and a half.
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