In Memoriam
The Inclusion Yukon community is made up of people who leave lasting marks on our lives, our organization, and our shared community. This page is dedicated to remembering and honouring those we have lost, while celebrating the gifts they brought to the people around them. Though they are no longer with us, their legacies live on in the relationships they built, the lives they touched, and the community they helped create. We remember them with gratitude and love.
Sharon Ulrich
Sharon Ulrich dedicated many years of her life to Inclusion Yukon and to the community we are privileged to support. After Sharon passed away in October 2025, our organization lost not only a beloved colleague, but a mentor, leader, and friend whose influence continues to shape Inclusion Yukon every day. Sharon was known for her kindness, unwavering dedication, and the steady presence she brought to our organization. She cared deeply about people and approached every part of her work with compassion and generosity.
Sharon was instrumental in supporting the growth of Mallory’s Postering, the social enterprise founded by Mallory Pigage. Together, Mallory and Sharon became affectionately known as the “dream team,” building a service that continues to be an important part of Inclusion Yukon’s work today.
Sharon had a wide range of skills and talents, one of them being her passion for animals. Those who knew Sharon knew she had a remarkable way with animals. Her best friend and famous office dog, Flash, was a Deaf Border Collie who faithfully followed Sharon wherever she went and became just as much a part of Inclusion Yukon as she was. Sharon also ran Northern Spirit Alpaca Farm, where she offered therapeutic experiences for children, families, and adults alike. Those who spent time with Sharon and her alpacas rarely left without a smile.
Sharon worked in almost every role Inclusion Yukon has to offer. She was a Support Worker, Program Coordinator, Finance Manager, Interim Executive Director, and probably every small role in between. No matter the position, she brought the same dedication and willingness to help others succeed. For many, Sharon was the reason they chose to work at Inclusion Yukon, or the person who encouraged them to stay. She mentored countless staff over the years, and when challenging situations arose, people naturally turned to Sharon for guidance. Today, many of us still ask ourselves: “What would Sharon do?”
Whenever Sharon walked into the office, she brought with her an immediate sense of calm, confidence, and reassurance that everything would be okay. She was a steadfast and grounding presence whose influence still reaches every part of our organization. She is present in the way we welcome community members through our doors, the way we support one another as colleagues, the way we approach difficult situations with compassion, and the way we quietly step into help wherever we are needed. Sharon shaped what Inclusion Yukon does, and who we are.
Inclusion Yukon is forever grateful for Sharon’s selfless dedication and for the immeasurable contributions she made to our community.
You will always be our mentor, our role model, and our friend.
We will miss you, Sharon and Flash.
Jenffer A. Jay
Jenffer A. Jay was a celebrated community member who made a range of contributions to Inclusion Yukon throughout the years. As a person with lived experience of disability, Jenffer served as a board member of Inclusion Yukon from 2020 to 2023 and loved to help out around the office when she could. She was a dedicated volunteer for Yukon Rendezvous and Arctic Winter Games, doing the recycling. She had a passion for collecting and had many collections of pins, Rendezvous buttons, A&W mugs, hockey and Pokémon cards, carabiners (that she would donate to Freedom Trails) and bottle caps that she would use in her art. One of the creations that made her recognizable when walking out in the community was her homemade cane, which had a magnet on the bottom of it to pick up interesting things she would come across.
One way Jenffer actualized her dreams of being a professional artist was through a body of creative work called Beauty Through Decay, a collection of pieces that she made by scanning bottle caps and other found objects to create unique, mandala-like images. In 2020, she started her business creating and selling prints and postcards. She also received funding from Yukon Film Society to create a debut short film about her life and art. Jenffer worked on this project with support from Inclusion Yukon and premiered it at the Available Light Film Festival in Whitehorse and at the Dawson City International Short Film Festival. The film was a way for Jenffer to share more personal aspects of her experience as a trans woman and person with a disability with the wider community. She had always wanted to be recognized for her talent and creativity, and this body of work offered her that chance. Jenffer also worked with Inclusion Yukon to receive funding from Yukon Arts Fund to create a book of her art pieces, called Beauty Through Decay: The Book, which she self-published in 2023 and sold in local bookstores. Jenffer’s longest creative project was her comic strip, “Miss Jay,” which she proudly contributed to for over 40 years.
While Jenffer didn’t always feel welcomed in all spaces in Whitehorse, she expressed that she found community and support at Inclusion Yukon. We will dearly miss Jenffer, and forever treasure her artwork that still hangs on our walls. We will all miss her dropping by the office and checking in on us, asking how the office dogs are. Thank you for sharing your art, determination, and unique sense of humour with us. Our community was richer with you in it.
Jenffer A. Jay passed away in February 2026.
