Jonathan Richey-Chelin

With profound sadness, we announce the loss of our beautiful boy, Jonathan, aged 23, who passed peacefully in hospital surrounded by family after a tragic accident.

Jonathan struggled with substance use disorder and, despite multiple rehabilitation attempts, ultimately succumbed to the overwhelming pull of drug experimentation.

Throughout his life, Jonathan possessed an extraordinary drive to help others. During routine errands, he would spontaneously assist elderly citizens across busy streets or help them load groceries into their cars. He spent countless hours on the phone with friends, offering thoughtful advice during their difficult times. One day, he rushed home specifically to retrieve his down coat, which he gave to a stranger in need on Parliament Street.

Jonathan showed tremendous promise as a future psychiatrist. Despite his personal challenges, he achieved a remarkable 93 percent average in his third year of university, earning a place on the Dean's List. He planned to apply to medical school in the spring. His intellectual gifts emerged early—at just 14 months old, he could recite all the words to "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and possessed a vocabulary of 150 words.

In his younger years, we thought Jonathan might become a lawyer, as his expanding vocabulary matched his growing ability to present compelling arguments—whether advocating for extra Super Mario time on the Wii or explaining why he should ride the TTC alone at age 13.

His academic journey included acceptance into the Gifted Program in Grade 6 and enrolment at Queen's University for Computer Science. Later, drawn to understanding the human mind, he transferred to Toronto Metropolitan University and returned home. Between matches of online chess with global opponents, he cherished time with his first serious girlfriend, Milena, and enjoyed conversations with his younger brother Adam, often sharing wry observations about life's absurdities. His dark, sarcastic humour found particular delight in reading The Onion.

As both a ski and sailing instructor, Jonathan displayed natural talent for teaching. He made lessons entertaining while building his students' confidence. Once, facing nervous young skiers on a challenging slope, he skied backward down the hill, deliberately falling along the way, before jumping up to encourage them forward. They followed without hesitation. Children gravitated to him.

We treasure memories of our family camping trips, where after days of canoeing, portaging, or hiking snowy trails, Jonathan and his brother would craft magnificent bonfires. Evenings found us huddled in cozy yurts, watching scary movies and indulging in a wide array of junk food.

We imagine Jonathan now offering his counsel to those in need—he was an exceptional listener with boundless empathy.

Our hearts are shattered. We will miss you forever.

Those wishing to honor Jonathan's memory may make donations to the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Facility in Carp, Ontario.

Jonathan is survived by his mother, Christine Richey, father, Howard Chelin, and younger brother Adam Richey-Chelin.

A Celebration of Jonathan’s Life will be held:

Sunday, June 8, 2025 from 3-5pm at the Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) 720 Bathurst St - South entrance

Everyone is invited to attend. We would be grateful if you could share a memory or story about Jonathan by bringing it to his Celebration of Life or emailing it to Christine at crichey@rogers.com. The stories will be compiled into a memory book for the service, and your submission will not be read aloud. Any length of story is welcome, even just a few words. Your thoughts will be a great comfort in the days and years to come. Please RSVP and send notes to Christine. Thank you.