Andrei Anghel, a 24-year-old student from Ajax, Ontario, just east of Toronto, is believed to be the only Canadian aboard downed Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17.
His older sister, Lexi, 26 said he was always happy, and “destined for big things”. She and Andrei were born in Romania and the family moved to the Ajax area in 1998.
Andrei Anghel graduated from Ajax High School in 2008. In 2012 he graduated from the University of Waterloo with a degree in biomedical science.
Brian Dixon, a teacher of Andrei’s at Waterloo, told CBC News, that Andrei was a determined student, always asking the questions others might want to, but held back.
Most recently Andrei was in Romania taking classes at Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy in the city of Cluj-Napoca.
He was on his way to Bali to celebrate the completion of his second year of medical school. He, and his German girlfriend, a woman his sister identified as Olga, were planning on going hiking.
During his short life, Andrei Anghel had volunteered at a senior’s residence, worked as a research assistant and presented a paper comparing the differences in medical treatment of men and women.
“I believe there is much we can learn from the simplest forms of life,” he wrote on his LinkedIn profile. “I plan to learn and bring new knowledge to the world.”
His sister says she does not harbour any anger towards those who may be responsible for the tragedy because it won’t bring her brother back.
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