GoFundMe for slain Lincoln EMS worker’s sons closes in on $75,000

Niagara | Lincoln | Community | Crime | Police |

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Published October 17, 2023 at 10:35 am

Cheryl Kowalik was tragically found slain in Lincoln last Wednesday. So far nearly $75,000 has been raised to care for her two sons. She had worked with Niagara EMS as a paramedic for 24 years. (Photo: Facebook)

The best friend of slain Lincoln paramedic Cheryl Kowalik has started a GoFundMe to raise money for the education of her two young sons and at the moment, it is closing in on $75,000.

While the police have not yet identified Kowalik as the victim nor the 56-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder in the case, Kowalik’s best friend of 40 years, Sarah Purdy, created the fundraising site the day after her body was discovered in a rural area near a home on Victoria Ave., between Greenlane and John St., in Lincoln last Wednesday (Oct. 11).

By Thursday (Oct. 12), Niagara EMS had identified the woman as one of their own, saying she had worked as a paramedic for 24 years.

In the GoFundMe, Purdy described her lost friend as “a loving and devoted mother to her two young sons. She was a beautiful, loving, and supportive daughter/sister/sister-in-law/aunt/friend.”

As of this morning (Oct. 17), the GoFundMe has raised $74,299.

Kowalik’s obituary with Lincoln’s Tallman Funeral Service said that “Cheryl was a bright light who brought happiness and love into our lives. She was the glue that kept us together. Cheryl loved her sons more than anything and consistently showed her love for her family.”

“Growing up Cheryl enjoyed horseback riding and was full of life and radiant energy.  She pursued her dream to become a paramedic where she served over 24 years. Cheryl’s devotion to helping others made her an outstanding paramedic and she touched the lives of countless people that she worked with and cared for.”

While her funeral will be private, her family, along with her EMS family, will welcome relatives and friends to a “Celebration of Life” Visitation which will be held Sunday, Oct. 22 from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at the Armenian Community Centre (156 Martindale Rd, St. Catharines).

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