Jodi and I (and Jill!) met when we were in the same swimming class at South Common Pool…. When we were about 4 or 5. We continued swimming together but our friendship grew when I transferred to her elementary school in the third grade.

Jodi is my oldest friend - we have gone through every phase of our lives together. We discussed our first crushes (shout out to Lori for always pointing us in the right direction), went on to different high schools, learned how to drive (albeit very SLOWLY in Stan the van!), attended high school parties, went off to Western (her to Saugeen and I to King’s), partied too many times to count, went to each other’s weddings, both had babies… we were there for each other through it all. Although Jodi and I haven’t been able to see each other as much as we both would have liked, we continued to check in, send funny memories, and get together whenever we were in the same city at the same time.

My heart breaks for the Freemans, Millers, and especially Jordan and Benny. I am sending all my love as they navigate this terrible loss. I hope all the memories and photos help everyone who loved Jodi remember the smart, hilarious, kind person she was.

Some of my favourite Jodi memories include:

Dragging Jodi around to all my family activities (bike riding, tennis, Taste of the Danforth, picnics by the lake) - she was “the Jodster” to my fam

Walking the mall with our $0 and having Ian pick us up at the “secret entrance”

Crashing Jill’s Friday Night high school hangs skating at celebration square

Feeding apples to her beloved Max and Cody

Coveting her see-through phone (in her ROOM! Who was she?! DJ Tanner?!)

ALL the competitions - I think this is what made us work well. Jodi was competitive and I was…. Happy to lose. Basketball on her driveway, copious amounts of Mario Party, family game nights (especially when her UK family was in town), she even had a bunch of my friends download a pictionary-style APP where she schooled us all with her ridiculously detailed “MS Paint” drawings

Working at Lori’s company one summer with Jodi and Scott - wasn’t hard to go to work everyday!

The summer where I lived at Renaissance 1 and she lived at Renaissance 2… a lot of “goon” was involved, and a night where I had to chug children’s bubble gum benadryl

Dancing super pregnant at her wedding on the hottest day of the year and feeling bad to leave “early” - only to realize she had made an Irish exit already!

Celebrating my 21st birthday with the Freemans in the DR - in the casino, of course

Our preferred snacks at each others’ homes: At Jodi’s, we had Cyclone popsicles and microwave bacon. At my house, we had Fudgeeos and peach juice. Sophisticated pallets, we had.

Rest easy, Jod. I will cherish our memories forever xo