Conor Shea, teen killed in snowmobile accident, remembered by friends, family

A 14-year-old boy killed in a snowmobile accident earlier this month is being remembered by friends and family as a kind-hearted kid who went out of his way to help others.

Conor Shea was killed on Jan. 17 not far from his Pleasant View, P.E.I., home.

"He was a great, sweet, kind-hearted kid," said his mother, Tishie Shea.

His love for hockey will be lived in Tignish and wherever else, because I will make it keep going. Tishie Shea

"He was just an all-around good kid very nice, helpful. He had that little sneaky look to him with his little grin. He was a great brother, he was a great son, he was a great everything."

It's a description echoed by Maureen Chaisson, whose son Zackary went to school with Conor. She said Conor helped Zackary, who has a cognitive disability, finish a race in Grade 5 by doubling back and running alongside him.

"Conor always went out of his way to help Zackary," she said.

'He loved hockey'

The Sheas are a hockey family: all of their kids have played, and Tishie Shea is a coach and manager, and also sits on the Tignish Minor Hockey Association.

Conor was a forward on the Tignish Aces Bantam AA hockey team and also served as assistant captain.

His mom describes the team as a tight-knit group of kids who've played together for years.

"He loved hockey, the hockey trips, going in the car," Shea said.

"He liked to check, he liked to go for the biggest fella on the ice. He wasn't nervous on the ice, let's put it that way. Right when he would go to check someone you would see the grin on his face and his blue eyes."

Coach and family friend Jeff Hackett described him as a passionate player.

"He was a real bubbly fella, always had that sneaky little smirk on his face," Hackett said. "He was a go-getter."

Memorial jerseys

It's the hockey community that's helping the family get by.

Hackett worked quickly to get Conor's initials and number ironed on the team's jerseys as a memorial tribute. He also got window decals and helmet stickers, which will now be worn on helmets across the Island.

"It was devastating, especially in a small community, it hit home very easy," Hackett said.

"There was 15 kids, they're almost like brothers and sisters when they're playing on a team, and when you lose a kid in a tragedy like that, it kind of stops everyone right in their tracks. It's a real hard thing to deal with."

The support for Conor's family, Hackett said, has been overwhelming.

About 700 people attended a game in his honour on Jan 22. A moment of silence was held as both teams looked toward Conor's jersey, number 16.

The game also helped raise money for new memorial hockey jerseys, complete with a photo of Conor, that Shea hopes to distribute to as many teams as possible in the Tignish area. Donations for the project are also coming in from teams across the Island that are raising money through bake sales or 50/50 draws.

"Conor's school picture will be on the shoulder and number 16 underneath the picture," she said. "I want it over the heart."

Shea said some of her best memories of Conor are centred around hockey, so it's a fitting tribute.

"The passion for hockey has gotten even stronger. The hockey love is unreal, it's a love unconditional. My love for hockey has grown even more," she said.

"His love for hockey will be lived in Tignish and wherever else, because I will make it keep going."

Teams in the area are expected to be sporting the new memorial jerseys in the coming weeks.