Nicolas Raymond Beauchamp, the younger of two children, dreamed of being a paramedic someday. He loved to help others, and he grew up participating in first-aid and Red Cross activities.
Sharing was part of his personality, including the sharing of knowledge. He was so talkative that he couldn’t swim lengths at the pool without grabbing the dividers and stopping other swimmers to chat.
Academic work seemed easy for him. In fact, he barely studied, because he didn’t need to.
Activities he enjoyed included four-wheeling, dirt biking, camping, climbing, multiple sports, and anything that involved mud or the outdoors. His adventurous spirit often got him into trouble: falling through the ice; getting rescued by firefighters from an antenna that he had climbed; being told for the umpteenth time to get down from the garage roof.
He had two children and was a good father. Although he and their mother did not stay together, he saw his children as often as he could. Family was important to him.
Always the consummate joker, one day he asked his mother to meet him. To her surprise, it turned out to be the swearing-in ceremony for the Canadian Armed Forces. After his first month of training, she saw a different, happy, and content man.
Nicolas served in Afghanistan along with his wife. Everyone there liked him for his courage and sense of humour. He demonstrated great courage and was also sensitive — mourning his comrades in arms with deep-felt tears when they fell in battle.
In honour of Nicolas, a classroom at CFB Valcartier has been named after him.
By Kathy Steinemann
