Noel Johansen, a prolific TV actor who has appeared in several Hallmark movies, tearfully paid tribute to his wife Jenifer Darbellay at a vigil held in memory of victims killed in an attack at a Vancouver street festival Saturday.
Darbellay, an artist and costumer for theater and films including “The Assassination of Jesse James,” died when a driver with a history of mental illness rammed into the crowded Lapu Lapu festival celebrating Filipino culture. She was one of 11 people who died as a result of their injuries in the attack. Johansen and their 7-year-old daughter were also injured.
The actor, who has appeared in “Reunited at Christmas” and “Fargo,” spoke on crutches at the vigil Monday about his wife, who was mother to their children Darby and Ford.
“What you see here is an injury that means nothing to me because what’s inside my heart is broken. Because my wife passed away behind me at the incident,” Johansen said in a video posted by Global News Canada.
“She never celebrated herself in her life. She never thought of herself, she thought of herself as small in terms of the reach,” he said. “And I can tell you she was larger than life for any of you who know her.
“So don’t be small in life. Be big, reach out and reach out as a human being with everything you have — and please remember us who went through this.”
A GoFundMe for the family posted by a friend described Darbellay as “one-of-a-kind. She was an incredibly thoughtful, warm, caring, smart, stylish, artistic woman. A gifted painter, a selfless mother, and a loving wife. She gave the best hugs, was always there to listen without judgement, and had the sweetest voice.”
Johansen, who holds Canadian, American and British citizenship, also appeared in “When Calls the Heart,” “Chesapeake Shores,” “Harvest Love” and “Home for Christmas Day.”
