Young couple mourned after tragic accident

John Ryan and Kathy Rauti

Family and friends have come together to console each other and grieve for a young couple who lost their lives Monday night in a car accident in Caledon.

John Ryan, 21, and Kathy Rauti, 22, both of Adjala, were engaged, but Ms. Rauti's best friend Gaylyn Ritchie said they hadn't set a date yet.

She was a hair dresser and aesthetician and Mr. Ryan was a contractor in the carpentry trade, according to his father John.

"Kathy was very, very sweet, and always thought of everybody else before herself," Ritchie recalled.

"She always had a smile across her face," Mr. Ryan's mother Isolde added. "She had a beautiful smile."

"She was pretty much a peace-maker," Ms. Rauti's mother Pauline said. "She always wanted to see people happy."

Mrs. Ryan also remembered her son was big as a child, and was always ready to stick up for the smaller kids who were being bullied.

His father echoed those thoughts. "He made sure his friends didn't come to harm when they were bothered," he said.

"He had lots of friends," his mother said. "Once he met Kathy, his whole life became about Kathy and him. They enjoyed each other and did as much as they could with each other."

"He was the best," remarked Mr. Ryan's grieving sister Charlene. "She was gold. She would do anything for anybody."

In addition to her mother and father Tony, Ms. Rauti is survived by her brothers Nick Rauti and Tom Vaccarello. Mr. Ryan had another sister Nadine.

Funeral arrangements for the young couple had not been finalized by press time. They are being handled through the Rod Abrams Funeral Home in Tottenham. Further information can be obtained from the funeral home's Web site at www.rodabramsfuneralhomeltd.com