Who was Noel Johansen’s wife Jenifer Darbellay? GoFundMe raises over $180,000 as Hallmark star mourns wife's death in Lapu Lapu festival tragedy

Actor Noel Johansen's wife and painter Jenifer Darbellay died following a car accident while attending the Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver. The incident took place on April 26, when an SUV driven by Kai-Ji Adam Lo rammed though the crowds where Darbellay and her family was enjoying the festivities, according to CBS News.

According to the latest reports, the incident took place around 8 p.m. and resulted in deaths of 11 people, including Darbellay. According to BBC, Kai-Ji Adam Lo has been charged with eight counts of second degree murder. The police are still investigating the incident, but no motive for the act has been revealed yet.

More about Jenifer Darbellay, as family mourns her following death during the Lapu Lapu Day Festival tragedy

Jenifer Darbellay, who was 50 years old, and was an artist and a central figure in the Calgary theatre community, according to CTV News. Her Linkedln profile states that Darbellay went to St. Francis High School and later studied at the Alberta College of Art and Design, where she obtained a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts and Textiles. She later attended the University of British Columbia, where she pursued her Master's in Fine Arts, Theatre and Art Installation.

Her husband, Noel Johansen, who also suffered injuries in the car-ramming incident, expressed heartbreak over the loss. According to People, he told Global News Canada:

"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.”

The When Calls the Heart actor reflected on what kind of person she was, saying:

"She never thought of herself, she thought of herself as small in terms of the reach. 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."

According to her Linkedln profile, Darbellay had worked as a bridal consultant at Bisou Bridal in Vancouver, in 2009.

During the vigil held in front of Sir Alexander Mackenzie Elementary School, the Chesapeake Shores actor, who was seen on crutches, recalled a moment from when the car rammed into the crowd at the festival. He said:

“It hit us before we knew. I was falling in slow motion trying to save my head from smashing in the pavement.”

Following her death on Saturday, a GoFundMe fundraiser was organized by family friend, Michael Daingerfield. The campaign has managed to raise over $180,000 to help the grieving family cope with the aftermath of Jenifer Darbellay's death. The GoFundMe page reads:

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"It is with a deep sadness and a very heavy heart for which I am reaching out to you about this cause. My name is Michael Daingerfield Hall from Vancouver, BC, Canada and I am a very close friend and business partner of Noel Johansen. On Saturday April 26th, while attending the Lapu-Lapu event celebrating Filipino culture on Fraser St., Noel's wife Jen Darbellay was struck and killed by an SUV as it drove through the crowd."

Jenifer Darbellay is survived by her husband and their two children — son Ford and seven-year-old daughter, Darby, who was also injured in the incident.

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