Harrison Kelertas

March 10, 1994 - April 28, 2016

Our beloved Harrison passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, ON. He was the proud son of Richard A. Kelertas and Julie G. Belzil Kelertas of Hudson, QC and loving brother to Keegan, Marc- Antoine and Tristana. He also leaves behind the grieving grandmothers, Antonia Kelertas of Toronto, ON and Lucille Belzil of Trois Rivieres, QC, as well as the many bereaved aunts, uncles, cousins and other relatives in both cities.

Harrison was an honors political science student and Officer Cadet( member of Frontenac (4) Squadron) at RMC in Kingston, ON. An excellent student and collegiate athlete, he was well known for his top rated skills on the fencing piste.

Since an early age, Harrison showed determination and grit when he won the Canadian National and Quebec Junior (under 15 yrs) Fencing Championships (epee) in 2008-09. From then on, he competed and won numerous gold, silver and bronze medals across Canada, the United States and in Europe.

As a first year cadet in 2013, Kelertas was part of the RMC men's fencing team that won gold at the Challenge Epee Commandant at Ecole Royale Militaire in Brussels. In 2014, he was presented with the Hutton Trophy as second-year athlete of the year at the college. He also had two top 16 finishes at the Canadian National Fencing Championships that same year. In February 2015, he won bronze medals in both the individual and team epee at the Ontario University Fencing Championships. In March of that same year, Harrison was presented with the Tommy Smart Cup as RMC's Male Athlete of the Year, was named an Ontario University Athletics All-Star, and as well, was ranked 26th nationally in senior men's epee. This last March, Harrison was named the men's fencing team's most valuable player at the RMC Paladins awards ceremony.

He was a force of nature both on and off the piste and on the training field at the college, especially during his Phase III military course at CFB Gagetown. He was always ready to help, assist, encourage and engage his fellow teammates and fellow officer cadets to excel and never, ever give up. He was a born leader and held many supervisory posts while at the college. He was scheduled to graduate this May at RMC with Distinction and was to receive his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Infantry with the Canadian Armed Forces.

At home, we all knew him as the witty, gregarious and "full of life" young man who loved his family, friends (especially, his second family at RMC), and who was always ready to lend a helping hand, an insightful ear and well-timed joke for the benefit of all who were fortunate enough to have known him. Our collective hearts are breaking at the loss of a truly wonderful son, brother, soldier, leader and beautiful human being.

Visitation will be at the Collins Clarke MacGillivray White Funeral Home (514-483-1870) located at 27 Salisbury, Pointe-Claire, QC on Friday, May 6 from 2 - 4 pm and from 6 - 9 p.m., and on Saturday, May 7 from 2 - 4 p.m. and from 6 - 9 p.m.

A celebration of Harrison's life will be held at Saint Joachim Parish Church (514-695-3612) located at 2 St. Anne Street, Pointe-Claire, QC commencing at 1 p.m. on Monday, May 9.

A reception will take place immediately afterwards at the Auberge Willow (208 rue Main , Hudson, QC- 450-458-7006) from 2:30 p.m. onwards. The burial ceremony will be private and for the immediate family only.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to the Military Families of Canada (www.cfmws.com).

"Gone; yet never to be forgotten, although we are now apart, your spirit lives within us all, forever in our hearts."

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Published in The Gazette on May 5, 2016

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