Four fire victims remembered as happy, adventurous ahead of funeral services

“He loved to tell jokes even though they rarely made sense,” says the notice, which features a picture of the beaming schoolboy who was a cousin to some of the other children. “He was truly the light in everyone’s lives and all who knew him will carry special memories.”

A joint funeral service is being held Tuesday at the Yarmouth Wesleyan Church for four-month-old Winston Prouty and his four-year-old sister, Jayla Kennedy.

The obituary for Kennedy said the blond-haired girl was a “happy-go-lucky social butterfly” who loved riding her bike, swimming, beach combing and playing with her cousins and siblings.

“Jayla was a true joy that could light up a room with her amazing presence,” it reads. “Always nurturing her baby dolls and her baby ‘brodder’ Winston…”

The obituary includes a note from the family thanking the first responders, funeral homes and hospital staff who “went above and beyond to help our families in this difficult time. It will not be forgotten.”

The four-month-old baby boy was the son of Emma Kennedy and Phillip Prouty, who both got out of the house after the fire started in the early morning hours of Jan. 7.

West Pubnico Fire Chief Gordon Amiro has said flames had already engulfed the home by the time firefighters arrived. The couple were taken away in an ambulance before the fire trucks showed up about 12 minutes after they were alerted to the fire, about 265 kilometres southwest of Halifax.

The little boy’s obituary says he was “good natured and always happy and giggling,” especially when bouncing in his jolly jumper and playing with his sisters.

“He truly was a special gift to us,” it says.

Mya Prouty was being remembered as an adventurous “girly girl,” who loved to dress up, listen to pop music and spend time at the beach with her family.

“Mya couldn’t wait for summer to come each year and would start asking, ‘Is it summer yet?’ in March,” her obituary notes. “She was a happy, caring, outgoing child who loved new adventures.”

Phillip Prouty was brought out of an induced coma two days after the fast-moving house fire, according to Ervin Olsen, the great-grandfather of two of the four youngsters. His granddaughter, Emma Kennedy, stayed by her common-law partner’s side in a Yarmouth hospital, mourning the loss of their blended family and a cousin as he struggled to survive, he said.

A relative in Newfoundland who has launched a fundraising campaign for the family said Grant was at the home for a sleepover.

The community has rallied around the blended family, with one local lobster fisherman offering to donate everything he earned when he went out fishing one day.

Accounts in trust have also been set up at credit union and Royal Bank of Canada branches in Atlantic Canada. Donations can be made under the name Pubnico Fire Relief Fund. The funds will be administered by the Municipality of Argyle and community members.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but the RCMP have ruled out foul play.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Four fire victims remembered as happy, adventurous ahead of funeral services

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