No matter her age, 19-year-old Caitlin Greene was a true “girly girl” who loved princesses, fairytales and the colour pink.
Family and friends remembered Greene for her friendly and outgoing personality, and wickedly sarcastic sense of humour.
“She loved people,” said her mother Barb Nolet. “She was one of those people when you met you didn’t forget.”
Greene, from Okotoks, died suddenly in the early morning hours of Dec. 31 as a result of what appears to be a tragic accident.
The exact cause of death is still unknown, but her family believes she may have choked after inhaling stomach contents while vomiting at a friend’s house. An autopsy is underway and the results are expected in the next three to six months.
“It was just a freak accident,” said Brett Greene, one of Caitlin’s older brothers.
An estimated 350 people paid their respects to Greene at her Celebration of Life held Jan. 6 at the Elk 31 Club in Okotoks.
Shades of pink dotted the crowd as family and friends milled about the room dressed in Greene’s favourite colour, even though no one was asked to do so.
“Everybody just knew that was her colour,” Nolet said. “When you wrapped presents for her, it didn’t matter what it was, it had to be in pink.”
Greene and her mother were incredibly close and spent a lot of time together, from listening to Top 40 hits on the radio to going on mother-daughter trips to Las Vegas or Cuba.
Of her time spent with her daughter, Nolet said she would most treasure memories of Christmas.
The holiday was Greene’s favourite time of year, she said. A “child at heart” even as she grew up, Nolet said she loved getting presents, and often asked for each gift to be wrapped individually so the surprise of unwrapping them all could last just a little bit longer.
“She was always the first person up in the morning, sneaking around and trying to find the presents,” Nolet said.
Nolet said her daughter was a born helper, who hoped to transform her desire to help others into a career. Greene was accepted into Columbia College in Calgary, and was slated to begin studies to become a parole officer at the end of January. She worked hard after graduating high school to earn tuition.
When Nolet owned the Extreme Pita restaurant in Okotoks several years ago, her daughter would often help after school. From that experience, Nolet said Greene became incredibly reliable at a young age.
Sports also played a big role in Greene’s childhood. From figure skating to dance, to hockey and lacrosse, she tried everything at least once.
Slurpees were also a favourite, and became especially accessible when she took a part-time job at the 7-Eleven in Okotoks.
When she wasn’t consuming mass amounts of hot sauce, Greene loved reading and listening to music. Justin Bieber was constantly on repeat in her bedroom, much to her brother’s annoyance.
“It was always on and it always had to be loud,” Nolet said.
Greene loved to write down quotes, many from her favourite songs. She planned on getting one particular quote, a line from rapper Tupac Shakur, as a tattoo this year. The quote reads: “For every dark night, there is a brighter day.”
This year, to honour Greene’s memory, Nolet and Brett plan on getting the quote tattooed on their own bodies so they will always carry a piece of her with them wherever they go.
