Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau’s sister Katie recalled the ‘split second’ she heard the life-changing news that her brothers had passed away.
On Thursday, August 29, Matthew and Johnny lost their lives in a bike collision the night before Katie was supposed to walk down the aisle and tie the knot with her fiancé Devin Joyce. The brothers were set to serve as groomsmen for the big day.
In an Instagram post on Thursday, Katie reflected on the very moment she found out about the tragic news.
‘That day,’ she wrote. ‘Right in the middle of getting ready for the best day of my life, the unthinkable happens that will change my life forever. I remember a week ago being in the hotel sitting with family and texting Devin about how we forgot to practice our dip.
‘To think that was our biggest worry at this moment when in just a split second and a phone call later our lives would forever change.’
‘Remember to tell your people you love them,’ Katie added. ‘I would do anything to tell my big brothers I love them one more time.’
Her recollection of the evening was accompanied by pictures of their family over the years. She also inserted a quote that paralleled her caption.
‘That day,’ the image read. ‘Right in the middle of our life, on an ordinary day, the unthinkable happened. Everything went from ordinary to chaotic and there I stood, in the mess of it all. Knowing there will now forever be a before and an after.’
While the wedding was postponed with an indefinite date, Katie took to her Instagram story on September 4 and said she and her soon-to-be groom are confident they’ll feel her late brothers’ presence when the day comes.
Katie also shared a picture of her wedding band with the initials ‘J&M’ engraved, writing ‘Forever with me now. J&M.’
Johnny leaves behind his wife Meredith, whom he married in September 2021, and two young children; one-year-old daughter Noa and baby boy Johnny – born just six months ago.
Matthew, meanwhile, leaves behind his wife, Madeline, just over three years after their wedding in New Jersey. Madeline is expected to give birth to their son, Tripp, in late December.
