AUBURN – Tricia Johnson-Asselin had a smile you could feel, and whoever was friends with her was a friend for life, according to many friends and family members.
About 100 of Asselin’s closest confidants were at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1603 on Saturday to celebrate the life of Asselin, who was killed in the mass shooting at Just-In-Time Recreation on October 25, 2023. Asselin would have celebrated her 54th birthday on August 30.
“We just want everyone to have fun,” said Bobbi Nichols, Asselin’s sister and the organizer of the celebration. The celebration featured many raffle items and baskets donated by family, friends and local businesses. Nichols explained that all proceeds from the raffles will benefit athletic scholarships for students at the family’s alma mater, Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham.
Nichols said she had to delay the celebration as long as possible to protect her own mental health and that of others. Nichols was at the bowling alley with her sister when the shooting occurred and saw much of the carnage.
Tricia Johnson-Asselin’s mother, Alicia Lachance, left, and sister, Bobbi Nichols, sing “Happy Birthday” during a celebration of life at VFW Post 1603 in Auburn on Saturday. Asselin, who would have turned 54 on Aug. 30, died Oct. 25, 2023, while bowling at Just-In-Time Recreation in Lewiston. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal
However, since the celebration took place just a few days before her sister’s birthday, it was the perfect time to remember her and sing “Happy Birthday.”
“We’ll remember her by that,” Nichols said of the raffle and scholarships. “She has to keep giving because that’s her personality. She was a giver. She did everything – breast cancer marches, Make-A-Wish, Wreaths Across America, the Giving Tree.”
Asselin’s mother, Alicia Lachance, flew in from Florida to help with the celebration and remember her daughter with all the important people in her life. Lachance said she couldn’t name one thing or memory of her daughter that she misses the most.
“Because I miss every little thing about her,” Lachance said, pointing to the many photos of her daughter on display. “Look at my daughter’s smile. That’s because we have a lot of love in our family. We all supported her in everything she did. She made everyone feel important.”
Denise Vaillancourt, a friend of Asselin’s since their late teens, also said there were far too many great memories to choose from. She said her friend was always happy, through good times and bad. She could make anyone smile or laugh, she said.
Tricia Johnson-Asselin was 53 years old when she was killed on October 25, 2023. Friends and family celebrated her 54th birthday on Saturday at VFW Post 1603 in Auburn. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal
“I remember a few years ago we went out together and bought Halloween costumes. She was Yoda and I was a clown,” Vaillancourt laughed. “We went all over Auburn. She was always cheerful and didn’t want people here to be upset. People say that about people, but Tricia really didn’t mean that. She wanted everyone to try to have fun.”
Nichols’ fiancé, Ray Mailloux, said the past year has been tough for Nichols, but the celebration was somewhat cathartic, yet chaotic, as such events tend to be. It was very important for Nichols to see so many people who loved and cared about her sister.
Lachance said her daughter has always been a fighter, for herself and for others. She recalled her daughter’s birth two months early and how the first two months of her life were a struggle.
“Her due date was November 3,” Lachance said. “And I buried her that day. She is in God’s hands and no one will ever hurt her again. I miss her very much.”
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