'A wonderful person:' Linda Vatcher remembered after death in Jordan
Christopher Vatcher expected to make full recovery after bullet to shoulder
Former colleagues and community members are remembering Linda Vatcher, a Canadian tourist killed in an armed attack in Jordan on Sunday.
Vatcher, 62, was originally from Burgeo, N.L., but spent decades living in Corner Brook.
She retired from teaching at C.C. Loughlin Elementary School in Corner Brook and was an active volunteer at the Salvation Army Food Bank for five years.
Vatcher was in Jordan to visit her son, Christopher, when gunmen struck multiple locations in Karak on Sunday.
Christoper Vatcher, who works in the Middle East, was shot and injured in the attack.
He is being treated in a hospital in Amman, Jordan, for a bullet wound to the shoulder and is expected to make a full recovery, according to a family friend.
Michael Luedee worked with Vatcher during the 6½ years he was principal at C.C. Loughlin and said it's still hard to believe the news.
"It was almost surreal at first," said Luedee. "When I had first seen the headline and I noted that a Canadian had been killed, you give it a passing thought. Then to find out later, one of the administrators at the school board called to tell me that it was Linda Vatcher, it was a shock. I'm still shocked."
'She was a great teacher'
Luedee described Vatcher as a smart person who was helpful and thoughtful, particularly for students who needed extra attention.
"She was a great teacher," Luedee said.
She did just great service for those kids, and the families as well.- Michael Luedee, colleague
"A fantastic, empathetic and compassionate individual who was just so good, in the sense that if you had a troubled child that came to the school, either from a transfer or into a grade level, Linda Vatcher was always one that you could count on."
The school had a number of children who required additional care and attention, he said, but Vatcher was always compassionate in working with them.
"I recall, specifically, one year where we had a class where we had a lot of students who needed a lot of help. I remember Linda having an inordinate amount of those, maybe five or six," Luedee said.
"She was a strong teacher, a real trouper. She never complained. This is what she had to work with, and she did just great service for those kids, and the families as well."
He also said Vatcher's committed volunteer work at the local food bank would come as no surprise to anyone who knew her.
"That's the way that she was, and I'm sure if you were to speak to any of her colleagues, they would say exactly the same thing, this is the type of person she was."
'A wonderful person'
Burgeo Mayor Barbara Barter called Vatcher "a wonderful person" and remembers the primary school teacher from her years in Burgeo.
We often don't feel the effects of the volatile world that we live in.- Barbara Barter
"She was dedicated to her teaching, dedicated to her family, and dedicated to anything she did in her work with the community," Barter told CBC's St. John's Morning Show.
Barter says Vatcher loved travelling.
"She's always made a point of travelling, whenever and wherever she could," said Barter.
"To have this happen is, just like you say, is so close to home and we often don't feel the effects of the volatile world that we live in until something happens that really affects you."
'Warm, caring and genuine'
Corner Brook Mayor Charles Pender described Vatcher as someone who didn't look for recognition, but "contributed enormously to the community to make it a better place to live."
In his own career as a teacher, Pender also worked with Vatcher in his first year teaching in Burgeo.
"Her and her husband, they would invite me over for supper — I was the young teacher, the new guy on the block — and on a weekend if I couldn't go home, if the road was blocked or whatever, they'd call me and say 'bring over your laundry, we'll do your laundry and bring it back to you,'" he said.
Truly, a warm, caring and genuine person.- Corner Brook Mayor Charles Pender
"Truly, a warm, caring and genuine person."
Pender said Vatcher's kindness and concern is reflective of the type of people that come from the province.
"She was a true representative of this community and all of Newfoundland and Labrador. She's going to be sadly missed," he said.
Trudeau offers condolences
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement Monday addressing Vatcher's death.
"I was shocked and saddened to learn of the death of a Canadian and the injury of her son in a terrorist attack that took place in Karak, Jordan, that has left several dead and many more injured," Trudeau's statement read.
"On behalf of all Canadians, Sophie and I offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of all the victims of this heinous act of violence. We pray that those injured will have a complete and speedy recovery."
The prime minister added that the situation was a "sad reminder of the very real threat of terrorism around the globe."
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball also tweeted early Monday expressing his condolences.
On behalf of the people of Newfoundland & Labrador, our thoughts & prayers are with the Vatcher family during this extremely difficult time.
—@PremierofNLWith files from CBC Corner Brook Morning Show, CBC St. John's Morning Show