June 13, 2006

  • Rest In Peace









    Climber lived life to fullest, all say
    Mon, June 12, 2006

    By DANIELA SIMUNAC, FREE PRESS REPORTER







    Paul Ohashi seemed to have it all.


    A scholarship student travelling the globe, the 27-year-old Caledon East native lived life to its fullest, those who knew him said.


    But his life was cut short when he fractured his skull after falling off a cliff during what was described as a "trip of a lifetime."


    He was found dead on Mount Rinjani in central Indonesia Wednesday.


    "It was so easy for him to smile, to learn and to give," said his mother, Margaret Ohashi of Caledon East, north of Toronto. "There wasn't one person who didn't get along with him.


    "His personality and spirit . . . he gave us strength," she said, along with her husband Robert.


    "He was one of the most brilliant students," said Paul Clements, Ohashi's former music professor and associate dean at the University of Western Ontario. Clements last saw Ohashi in the fall when he was asked to write a reference letter for the student.


    Ohashi was looking forward to beginning a masters degree program in September at the University of New Brunswick. He majored in kinesiology and music while at Western, graduating in 2002. He played piano.


    "It's going to be very hard to call (the university) and say he's not coming," said his mother.


    The student earned a four-year scholarship and a gold medal at graduation, said Clements. Ohashi had the highest average in his program, he said.


    Clements recalls Ohashi was excited about the trip.


    "He saved all his money" by working as a certified personal trainer, he said. Ohashi helped organize the UWO's orientation in 2000.


    Ohashi also volunteered with the Terry Fox Run and the Boys' and Girls' Club of London.


    "He loved the children and they loved him too," said his mother.


    Ohashi left for his trip in January, planning to return in September.


    He had been climbing with three other foreigners --accompanied by a local porter -- when he forged ahead, the official Antara news agency in Indonesia reported.


    When the others arrived at the 2,736-metre-high-summit, Ohashi was nowhere to be seen. His body was found by a rescue team at the base of the cliff Wednesday.


    A memorial service will be held at the Egan Funeral Home in Bolton on June 28.




    RIP Paul. Sounds like you were living life to the fullest.