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LEGER, Aaron Austin

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20250203aaron-leger

December 17, 1998  -  January 12, 2025

Aaron Austin Leger passed away suddenly at home on Sunday, January 12 at the age of 26 due to an unexpected pulmonary embolism. He will be sadly missed by his parents, Mark Leger and Cheryl Chapman (Stratford) and his best friend and older brother, Liam Leger and wife Taylor (Corunna). He will be remembered by his grandmother, Denise and Rolland (Cornwall), his aunts and uncles - Albert, Sherry (Kingston), James and Jane (Ingleside), Barb and Roger (Brockville), Susan and Ken (London), Richard and Bernadette (Fredonia, New York) as well as his cousins - Jeremy, Christopher, Alexina, Briana, Sarah, Amy, Nick, Scott, and Michelle. He will also be missed by his many great-aunts and uncles as well as his second cousins. A special thank you also goes to Aaron’s godparents, Jacques and Marcelle Thibeault (Rockland) who considered Aaron one of their sons.

Aaron was someone who made friends easily and he will never be forgotten by his Stratford buddies - Donny, Jillian, Taylor, and Ryan as well as Nathan and the amazing ‘family’ of friends in Corunna. Thank you for filling Aaron’s short life with such incredible experiences! His memory will live on, as these stories are told again and again on fishing trips, at the cottage, or around the campfire.

Aaron attended school in Stratford and during that time, he was recognized as both a Regional and National Science Fair winner. He received many awards for his efforts in the area of science such as the Ontario Ministry of the Environment Environmental Innovator award as well as the University of Western Science Challenge Team Spirit award. Thank you so much to all of the educators who were part of recognizing what Aaron had to offer and finding ways to help him pursue his passion.

After high school, Aaron attended the University of Waterloo and continued to gain recognition for his work with awards such as the Mechanical Engineering Medicine award and the Norman Esch Entrepreneurship award. During that time, he had co-op placements with Bombardier, Toyota, ATS Automation, Canadian Tire Digital Garage, and Vehcom Manufacturing. After 5 years of hard work, we were proud to see him graduate as a Mechanical Engineer in 2022.

His job search took him all the way to California and Texas by motorcycle but he chose to accept a position with Schaeffler Canada in Stratford, designing tools and machinery needed to manufacture a wide variety of bearings. He loved his job and the people he worked with, especially his boss, Jonathan and they thought the world of him too. The flags at Schaeffler were lowered to half-mast when he passed away and his desk has since been retired.

Aaron’s death has shaken everyone who knew him - family, friends, neighbours, co-workers, former teachers and employers. We continue to be overwhelmed with kind messages, texts, and cards which often contain words like “funniest guy I’ve ever met”, “infectious laugh”, and “full of life”. That was Aaron! He will also be remembered for his kindness, generosity, ingenuity, and for his love of animals.

Thank you to all of those people who dropped off food at a time when that was the last thing on our minds. We also know Aaron would have appreciated the donations that have been made on his behalf. Special mention goes to Hamlet school staff members, past and present, the employees and staff at Schaeffler Canada, Coyote Nature school, the Sarnia Police Association, the McKenny-Dunn family, as well as Dave and the Schaeffler Bearing Arms Dragon Boat team for going above and beyond in helping us find a way to memorialize Aaron’s big personality.

We also appreciate the efforts of the Stratford Police Department, the Stratford Fire Department, the Perth County Paramedic team, and the staff in the Emergency Department at the Stratford General Hospital for doing all they could to keep him with us.

As per Aaron’s request, he has been cremated. A celebration of Aaron’s life will be held at the W.G. Young Funeral Home reception center, 430 Huron Street, Stratford on Saturday, June 28 from 2:00 - 5:00.

You are welcome to drop in and share some memories and laughter as we reminisce about the young man we’ll never be able to forget.

 

Don’t cry because he’s gone; smile because he was here.



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