It was an emotional Wednesday morning for students and staff at Crestwood Preparatory College in North York as the school paid tribute to Roy Pejcinovski, a 15-year-old victim of a triple murder in Ajax.
The Grade 9 student was killed earlier this month along with his 39-year-old mother, Krassimira Pejcinovski, and 15-year-old sister Venallia in what’s alleged to be a domestic-related incident.
Cory Fenn, believed to be Pejcinovski’s 29-year-old boyfriend, was later arrested and charged with three counts of second-degree murder. None of the charges have been proven in court.
In the days that followed, friends and family painted a clearer picture of the lives the victims led before their tragic deaths.
Roy Pejcinovski’s loss weighed heavily on his school and hockey team, the Don Mills Flyers of the Greater Toronto Hockey League, where he was lauded as a star goaltender.
Just one week before his death, Pejcinovski helped bring the school’s own hockey team to a championship title.
On Wednesday, the school formally retired his hockey jersey and number in his memory. They also unveiled a banner with Roy’s Don Mills Flyers number, which was 74.
Crestwood Headmaster Vince Pagano said he hopes students “fifty years from now” will look at the banner and ask about Roy.
“It will take a prominent place in our trophy case in our lobby,” Crestwood Headmaster Vince Pagano told reporters after a memorial held in Roy’s honour.
“He was a young man but a leader in the community.”
Friends and classmates of the Pejcinovski children faced their grief this week as classes resumed following a two-week spring break.
Pagano said councilors have been busy with “full days” as students try to come to terms with the tragedy. He said they’ll remain at the school and available to students at least until the end of the week.
The flag outside the school also remains at half-mast.
“As expected, there were a lot of tears. I had previewed the video (presentation) last night because our tech person put it together and it was difficult to watch and I couldn’t look at it today again, I needed to keep my composure,” he said of the memorial service. “It certainly affected a lot of the kids who were here. I think in some ways they’ve been affected by the nature of the tragedy as well as the loss of a fine young man.”
Hundreds attended a funeral for Roy, his mother and sister at a Greek church in Toronto on Saturday, including Krassimira’s former partner, Vas Pejcinovski, and their surviving daughter Victoria.
Vas made a statement on behalf of the family earlier in the week, thanking the public for the “outpouring of love and support.”
“There are no words to explain how we feel. Our hearts are broken. We have lost our beloved Krissy, Roy, and Vana and our lives will never be the same,” he wrote. “I put my faith in God to give us comfort and guide us through this long journey toward healing.”
Autopsy results released last week revealed that two victims were stabbed to death and one died by asphyxiation, though Durham Regional Police would not specify how the results applied to each victim.
“The Pejcinovski Family Memorial Fund” has been established in their honour.
