Update: Memorial fund set up by Jill St. Onge’s family

The story has gone worldwide now, but thanks to Shannon Felix‘s original tip, WSB was the first news organization to report on the still-mysterious death of 27-year-old West Seattleite Jill St. Onge in Thailand, and we will continue to follow up, as family and friends search for answers and work to pay tribute to Ms. St. Onge. One of the newest developments: A memorial fund is now set up — according to this message from her family on the About Jill website (the image at left, of her and dog Sugar, is from that site):

We have set up a Jill St. Onge Memorial Fund. It will be used in a way we feel would represent Jill in the best way. Some ideas are starting a scholarship, establishing a memorial (Bench at a vista point or something along those lines) for every one to enjoy, helping other troubled travelers, using it to fund children art programs. This is very fluid right now. All thoughts and ideas on what would be a good way to represent Jill would be greatly appreciated.

Here’s a direct link to the page where you can donate, with your credit card, via PayPal (or PP account if you have one). Meantime, another update on the About Jill site says her fiance Ryan Kells (who works at Avalon Glassworks in West Seattle) arrived in the U.S. this morning, with Jill’s ashes. Results of the autopsy done in Thailand are not expected to be available for quite some time.

Trena May 9, 2009 (6:07 pm)

Why was she cremated so quickly? Did the fiance have permission from her parents to do this?

D.C. May 9, 2009 (6:42 pm)

CNN.com picked up the story as well. http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/09/seattle.mystery.death/index.html

Nice work WSB for helping to break the story and get it the attention it deserves.

Sarah May 9, 2009 (6:49 pm)

Trena – she was cremated post-autopsy. Five days post-death is not extremely hasty for cremation.

Mario May 9, 2009 (8:05 pm)

Wow! cremated so fast especially when her death is “still-mysterious”. It seems strange to me.

zero-to-life in West Seattle May 9, 2009 (8:50 pm)

At autopsy multiple various samples would be collected. My understanding is that the family requested and received samples to transport back home for tests to be run here. They could have been packed and hand-carried on the plane in a cooler. There would be no advantage to delaying cremation longer at that point, and in Thailand it is possible that they do not have facilities to store bodies properly. After the medical examiner performed an autopsy on one of my loved ones (in Seattle), his body was released the same day for cremation. The results from all the toxicology tests, however, take weeks. Another elderly relative of mine who lives in the Philippines has already made it clear to us that if he dies over there, that is where his body will stay. The logistics of transporting a body to America is amazingly complicated and expensive. Sadly, most families get a crash course in all of this at the same time they are in shock and mourning. I feel much sympathy for all those who loved this woman. It is a real tragedy.

C May 9, 2009 (10:51 pm)

The family/Ryan didn’t want her cremated. The Thai Government insisted. Their embalming practices are nil.

lera May 10, 2009 (11:40 am)

“Wow! cremated so fast especially when her death is “still-mysterious”. It seems strange to me.”

That is because you are projecting your values on to Thai Buddhist culture.

Americans seem genetically incapable of understanding that the rest of the world is not an extension of ourselves.

Wounded Knee May 10, 2009 (11:06 pm)

The issue here is that someone died way to young, and it has left many of her friends hurt. Nothing else matters, the comments about everything else need to stop.

Erik May 10, 2009 (11:25 pm)

I am under the impression that Ms. Jill St. Onge and that other poor victim suffered from the very subtle sting of the IRUKANDJI BOX JELLY, this animal exists in those waters and I feel that they have fallen prey to it. Its venom has symptoms that are very similar to it’s attack. I prey that they check the surf for any instances of those little guys, they don’t mean to kill, but anyone who comes into contact with them will suffer a similar fate I fear.

ryan kells May 11, 2009 (4:25 am)

this is Ryan, Jills fiancee.
Yes I felt the creamation was a little fast. But Jill father wanted it done, and he is the one with all the power here. I am not next of kin.I did not have any say Trena. I was hoping to have samples transported first, to make sure they made it safely back to the US.
And you cant just take human tissue on a plane. It has to be transported at -70 degrees F. thats a lot of dry ice. Has to be specially shipped.

The Thai gov, and their culture had nothing to do with the creamation date. If an american dies in a foreign country, they are given to the care of the US embassy. Jills father ordered it done that quickly.

Also the Jellyfish comment, maybe do some homework first. There are no jellyfish this time of year out there. And Jill had not gone swimming that day at all. She had been feeling too ill to do much.
I hope this answers some questions, because there is lots of false information out there. So If you dont know, please dont guess, you are only putting more ideas in peoples heads.
Lets have our goal be the truth, for Jill.

Jay May 11, 2009 (12:54 pm)

I cannot imagine your pain and wonder at how this can be, Ryan. It must shake the very foundation of your faith and beliefs. She was so beautiful and alive—just from photos I can see her spirit.
There is a cause and a reason and there can be good somewhere down the road in this. I pray for you and know that somehow you will find peace ahead and some good can come from this tradgedy.
May God bless you and keep you.
J.

Lilian Caughlin May 11, 2009 (2:50 pm)

Very sad story.My condolences to the family and fiance. What a shock.I find it strange that both victims were beautiful young women. Actually another one just barely made it. There was suposed to have been another death 3 month earlier but no details were given.Would be of interest to know who that person was male or female and what age. Unfortunately when travelling to 3rd world countries no matter how beautiful the aftermath of tragic incidents may not align with our logical way of thinking and handling of such matters.

Jack May 11, 2009 (3:47 pm)

I just returned back from Phuket yesterday.
Saturday night, I suddenly felt sick, turned pale and returned to my hotel where I vomited 4x.
It was then followed by a violent fever and cold shakes in my hotel bed.

I went to the hospital at 11pm (Patong Hospital)
and thank goodness for the great doctors and nurses, who kept me there until the next afternoon.

I was dehydrated, pumped with antibiotics and my fever went down from almost 39C to 37C when I was discharged.

I know for a fact and I told the hospital staff as well as the hotel staff, it was from a pina colada I had by the pool 4 hours prior to becoming sick.

All was noted by the hospital. I am sending this in hopes that maybe my problem somehow help the family.

I love Thailand and the Thai people. I go there 2x a year but have never been sick like this time.
Please find out what was eaten hours prior to vomiting.

I am back home safe and prior to my departure my fever broke and never vomited again.
This was diagnosed as a gastro infection and since I was at the beach most of the day and had nothing except that hotel drink, I know this together with being dehydrated caused this horrible experience. I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t gone to the hospital.

My prayers are with you and I do hope this helped in some small way.

Cami May 11, 2009 (8:12 pm)

There is going to be a story about Jill on Anderson Cooper 360 tonight on CNN. They just announced it!!!

Dana Nilson May 13, 2009 (7:56 pm)

I had the pleasure of working with Jill and her brother Paul.

Jill was an amazing person. She always had a positive attitude and was a great friend. She even painted a huge tropical beach mural on the outside wall of our Taco Del Mar in SODO.

She was fun to work with and a was also a good softball player on our company softball team. She was truly beautiful on the inside as well as the outside.

All of us that worked with Jill are shocked and sorrowed by this terrible tragedy.

Our sympathy goes out to Jill’s family and fiance. She was a very special person.

Jill's Father May 22, 2009 (8:36 pm)

We, as a family, made all decisions. Her mother, brothers and myself. For Ryan to state anything to the contrary is hurting JIll more than anyone else. We are having an Independent investigation performed. There is no loss greater than the loss of a child… Any parent will agree…

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