In loving memory of Kaya Firth

Kaya was a morning person. She was often the first to come into the office bright and early each morning. By the time the rest of us would trickle in, she would have already been to the gym, read a couple pages of a book, or started on an assignment. I admired that about her.

Kaya was a passionate person. She never missed an opportunity to talk about the things or the people that she loved and, if you got her started, she had the intelligence and quick wit to win any argument she cared deeply about. I admired that about her too. But the thing I admired most about Kaya was her smile—the brightest, whitest smile I have ever come to know. That smile told us a lot about Kaya from the moment she set foot in our office and its presence in our lives is fondly remembered and dearly missed.

—Dana Bellamy

There was nothing that I didn’t admire about Kaya. Her laughter was contagious and her smile always brightened up the office. We hit it off pretty easily at the beginning of the year, and as time went on I learned some pretty cool things about her—like finding out she was a huge Margaret Atwood fan, which I wouldn’t have guessed. She always managed to put a smile on everyone’s faces, and she could write a kickass editorial like it was nobody’s business. Kaya also adored her family, her friends, and her boyfriend—she always spoke highly of everyone she loved.

When you spend everyday in a room with the same group of people working in a fast-paced environment, it’s hard not to feel like a family, and Kaya was definitely part of our family. Things won’t be the same here without her.

—Danielle Subject

Being a part of the team, I had the pleasure to read and learn from the excellent pieces that Kaya wrote each week. Kaya brought a cheerful and positive attitude to the office every day that will be deeply missed in addition to her infectious laughter that brightened up the room. My condolences to her family and friends during this very difficult time and may she rest in peace.

—Al Ladha

This campus has suffered so many deaths these last few months, and there are so many of us who are hurting. While I didn’t know any of the other people we lost, I had the honour and privilege of having known Kaya Firth for a brief time. I tried to describe her to a friend last night. I said she was kind and smart and fiercely alive. That she’s not that last part any more feels like saying that up is down or right is left: utterly nonsensical. I can still see her 100-watt smile, still hear her speaking so incredibly fast, still feel the warmth she brought to a room. I look over at her desk and expect to see her. The Ontarion is, in many ways, a family, and I’m so grateful that she became a part of it. Kaya, we will forever miss you and carry you in our hearts.

—Aaron Jacklin

When I got to the door of the office and heard the news, my heart just sank. My tears started to flow after I heard what had happened to Kaya and I just couldn’t believe that she was gone. While working at The Ontarion, as Director of Layout and Design for almost a year, I didn’t interact with Kaya or the editorial staff that much—I was always quiet, sat at my desk, and did my own thing; but she was so spirited and outgoing. Kaya got along well with everyone in the office and it really is unfortunate that she left us so young, and so early. My biggest regret is not getting to know more about Kaya, before she passed away.

—Lynne Lam

Over the course of the last year, I’ve spent almost every single day working right next to Kaya Firth. I don’t know her favourite colour, but I know about her mother and father. I don’t know her favourite band, but I know about her brothers. I couldn’t possibly tell you about her favourite movie, or her favourite show, or even her favourite book—but I can tell you about her family, her hopes for the future, and her aspirations.

I’m not quite sure if it’s possible to ever thank someone enough for being one’s friend, but I know that I certainly never thanked Kaya as much as she deserved. She was, and always will be, my friend, and I’m eternally grateful that I got to meet someone as awesome as her.

If you ask me if I knew Kaya well, I’d have to answer truthfully. I knew Kaya more than I could have possibly hoped, but not nearly as much as I’d have liked.

—Sameer Chhabra

I didn’t have the privilege and joy of knowing Kaya long. We met this year when we began working for The Ontarion. Under first impression, I wasn’t sure if we would be close; we seemed to be polar opposites. I was very wrong. By my third day of work, we had exchanged maybe a dozen polite words. I think we both knew that had to change. I looked at her, bent over her computer and squinting at the screen, and I said, “Kaya, you’re the worst.” Her head jerked up, shocked, and I thought briefly that I had made a mistake, but she laughed. She laughed hard. From then on, Kaya was an extraordinary friend to have. She was unbelievably kind, passionate, intelligent, and she would laugh at anything and everything, often with a shocked expression like she couldn’t believe what I’d just said. Kaya, I am so sorry that you and Zach do not get more time to be the incredible people you were. I am so unbelievably sorry for the pain your family and friends are going through. It was an honour to have worked alongside you, to have learned from you, but most importantly, to have laughed with you.

—Sierra Paquette-Struger

From the get go, Kaya was kind, sincere, and intelligent; it was easy to see her dedication to her job and to the people with whom she worked with.

Editing the articles that Kaya wrote was never a problem because whenever she gave me the drafts, there would already be several markups in bright (borderline neon) blue ink in the margins—sometimes, unnecessarily so, since her sense of grammar and punctuation was excellent. She had a way with words, and even before coming to work at The Ontarion, I had taken note of the articles she wrote for her health column.

I did not know Kaya that well outside of the office, but she would always greet you with a sunny smile and focus her entire attention on whatever it was you had to say. It’s difficult to pay her memory justice in so few words, but it should be known that Kaya will always be fondly remembered.

—Jennifer Albay

Kaya was a beam of positivity around the office. Her kindness, her friendly spirit, and her sense of humour never failed to brighten up the room. At The Ontarion, we had the fortunate pleasure of working with Kaya nearly everyday. The memories we shared with her, the lessons we learned, and the friendships that grew during our time together were truly beautiful, and they will be remembered fondly.

—Emilio Ghloum

“A butterfly lights beside us like

a sunbeam

And for a brief moment its glory

and beauty belong to our world

But then it flies again

And though we wish it could

have stayed…

We feel lucky to have seen it.”

—Author unknown, Lorrie Taylor

Obituary of Kaya Firth: click here

A tribute from the University of Guelph School of English & Theatre Studies: click here