Crestwood Prepatory College held a memorial on Wednesday to honour 15-year-old Roy Pejcinovski, a victim of a triple homicide in Ajax earlier this month.
Krassimira Pejcinovski and her son Roy, a lauded minor league hockey goalie, were found dead in their home on March 14. Krassimira’s 13-year-old daughter, Venallia, died hours later in hospital.
At the time of the incident, the children had been off school on spring break.
Police have charged Cory Fenn, who was in a relationship with Krassimira, with second-degree murder in the deaths. Autopsy results showed that two of the victims were stabbed and the other strangled to death.
Roy, a star goaltender for the Don Mills Flyers, was honoured earlier by his minor hockey team in a friendly game played against the Toronto Marlboros on March 18. Both sides wore jerseys with an “R” emblazoned on the front as a tribute.
Roy also played on the school’s hockey team and had led them to a championship just a week before he was killed.
A number of people spoke at the memorial service Wednesday, which also included a video presentation and the retiring of Roy’s jersey.
“It certainly affected a lot of the kids who were here, who I think in some ways have been affected by the nature of the tragedy as well as the loss of the fine young man.”
Pagano said Roy had been a student at the school for two years.
Pagano called Roy a “leader” in the community, who some of the senior students even looked up, despite his young age.
Pagano said Roy’s framed jersey will take a prominent place in the trophy case in the school’s lobby and that the banner with Roy’s retired number will hang in the gym.
“We need to make sure that people who come after us will know who Roy was.”
Pagano said the school brought in two grief counsellors who have been busy every day since the students came back from break. He said they will likely stay for at least a few more days.
Last Saturday, all three victims were honoured by hundreds of classmates, friends and relatives in an emotional service at a Greek Orthodox church in Toronto. Roy’s teammates attended in their jerseys.
The school is in the process of setting up a scholarship in the star player’s name. It will be offered beginning next year to someone “who exemplifies the tremendous qualities that Roy had,” Pagano said.
—With files from The Canadian Press