Memorial Fund for Delta Doherty

This fundraiser is in loving memory of our dear Delta, who left us on December 24, 2024. These funds will be used to help his mother Heather cover expenses and for a celebration of his exceptional life.

Please contribute to this fund if you are able. Please share this as widely as you can on social media so that it will reach as much of Delta and Heather's community as possible.

Love each other. Be good to each other. Support each other.

Rest easy, Del.

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The celebration of life will be held on Sunday, March 23rd at 38 Howard Park Ave., in the condo building's party room, located on the ground floor. Further details will be forthcoming.

I am including the original announcement about Delta's passing below for those who may not have seen it:

Hello, friends. My name is Yawd Sylvester and I am a longtime friend of Heather Doherty and friend, chef, and mentor to her son Delta. I have been asked to share the heartbreaking news about the passing of our dear Del.

Delta had been on a rollercoaster of emotions–both ups and downs. He had experienced a number of tragedies over the last couple of years, including the recent death of his aunt. There were highs, too: graduating from Stratford Chefs School in June and taking a job right afterward at Fellini’s in Stratford. Just recently, while home for the holidays, he positively thrived during exuberant celebrations with friends at the 20th Anniversary party of The Local Pub, where he had spent time as chef.

Delta went walkabout Monday evening, to clear his head. As he has done throughout his life, he reached out to his mother for the support and comfort that has always helped him through. While on the phone, talking about how he was feeling, his phone ran out of battery. Unable to get back in touch with him, Heather immediately began searching for him with her dear friend Deb, as did his best friend Tully. She reached out to Delta’s network of friends and also contacted the police.

On the morning of Christmas Eve, Heather received a knock at the door from one of the officers involved in the search with the news that no mother should ever have to hear: that Delta–her only child–had passed away earlier that morning.

Hypothermia has since been cited as the cause. People suffering from hypothermia and its associated confusion are not usually aware of their condition. While Delta was on the phone to Heather and trying to get back home with her guidance, he became increasingly disoriented. When his phone went down, he became out of reach of his mother’s help and support. A very specific combination of factors came together with cruel and ultimately tragic consequences.

News of this devastating loss will affect everyone in different ways; the natural response of many people will be to rush over to help. However, for the moment we would ask for some space for Heather right now to allow her time to absorb this unfathomable shock as she wraps herself in the safety and love of her small support team. This means no flowers or deliveries, please. The need for support will be ongoing and will expand. There will absolutely be the opportunity to help, in time. For now, though, please hold her close in your heart until she is able to articulate what that support may look like. She is not alone; there is a small crew taking care of her. Please understand also that she is very appreciative of the love and outpouring of concern from everyone.

Arrangements for a gathering to celebrate Delta are still being considered and details will be provided as soon as they have been finalized.

There is SO much love for our Delta. You can hear it in people’s voices. You can see it in a pug’s sad eyes. I can taste it in the salty tears that are running down my face as I try to conceive of a world without our Delta. Our chef. Our friend. Our special, precious, irreplaceable boy.