November 2, 2004

As many of you have heard, we have lost Joe Opatowski in a car accident. Our Joe – A son, a brother, a best friend, a mentor, a role model, a confidant, a dreamer, and an inspiration. On Friday, October 29, two families lost a young man, at the age of 21, who brought us together and taught us how to dream and how to be alive. Joe is cherished and missed by his family by blood, father Ray and mother Julie, grandparents Charles and Sultana Catrisiotis, brothers Bobby and Mikey, and aunt Lilly Catrisiotis. He will live in the hearts, lives, and work of his family by humanity at Free the Children and Leaders Today, his hundreds of friends around the world, and the tens of thousands whom he touched directly through his speeches, his workshops, his deeds, his hugs, and his unforgettable smile. Joe savoured every breath of his life, and shared every bit of himself with everyone he met. He dedicated his very full life to seeking a path to a more just and loving world, and he created it by treating every interaction as an opportunity to make someone’s day extraordinary. Joe’s love is his enduring legacy, and will continue forever to change the world.

Family and friends may make their final visitation in colourful, comfortable dress at Ogden Funeral Home, 4164 Sheppard Avenue East, Agincourt, on Wednesday, November 3 and Thursday, November 4, from 6 to 9 pm. A chapel service at Ogden Funeral Home is open to the public on Friday, November 5, at 10 am, followed by a private internment. Family and friends are especially invited to a celebration of Joe’s life in Joe’s own style, at a special Memorial on Sunday, November 7, from 1 pm to 6 pm at Centennial College, 940 Progress Ave. The Memorial service will be held at 1 pm, followed by a celebration of all things Joe loved. Bring memories, love, music, hugs, and a smile. At each occasion, children and youth must be accompanied by a parent or trusted adult. Please be prepared to make appropriate arrangements as Free the Children or Leaders Today cannot provide transportation or accommodation for this event.

Please RSVP your attendance for the Memorial at RSVP@freethechildren.com. The Memorial will be a potluck, please bring food, preferably one of Joe’s favorites (fruit, salads, veggies, Jamaican patties, hummus, or anything you think he would love).

To share stories, thoughts and memories about Joe, please e-mail rememberjoe@freethechildren.com or rememberjoe@leaderstoday.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made for Joe’s legacy, which will be a scholarship fund to send youth overseas on volunteer and leadership trips. All donations can be sent through Free the Children. For details, please call (416) 925-5894 or refer to www.freethechildren.com.

“Some people smile because they’re happy, I’m happy because I smile.”