A tribute to Rev. Alison Etter, KAIROS local and regional volunteer
Rev. Alison Louise Etter (May 22, 1982, to February 14, 2024) died too young. She leaves behind a loving husband, Prof. Tom Urbaniak and young son, Oliver, along with parents, family and friends. We ache for their loss and the loss to the community, even while we celebrate the life that she lived and the love that she gave.
Alison was wise and gentle, kind and humble, abundantly capable, with a great laugh! She knew the importance of working together for the justice that her faith called her to – justice for all, leaving no one behind. We were blessed to have her keen mind, thoughtful heart and willing hands at many a KAIROS Atlantic meeting. KAIROS’ strength is in the people, in relationships and partnerships, in friendships and collective action. Alison remains a wonderful example of this strength.
Alison was involved with KAIROS for at least a decade, if not more. By 2018 Alison was taking a leadership role as a thoughtful and committed voice in a series of KAIROS Atlantic Strategy sessions. At the 2019 Streams of Justice gathering in Sackville, NS she shared a keen quest for justice and a desire to be more deeply involved. Later that year she and her husband Tom pulled together a diverse group of people, with connections to many churches in Cape Breton, to hear more about KAIROS. The energy grew and by the end of the evening, they had a commitment from a handful of people to be the executive of a newly formed KAIROS Cape Breton, with more folks to join in. Alison’s opening devotional, her introduction of staff to each person present by name and relationship in the community showed her innate ability to build networks. Her relationships were not limited to the churches; her connections with people from many walks of life showed her openness and concern for others.
Alison was a natural leader. She had such conviction and energy and warmth that people wanted to follow, and she put that charisma to use on many a KAIROS project. KAIROS is built with volunteers like Alison, who find a place of common expression in this peace and justice work, so that when a need is surfaced the respond, “I could do that!”
This was Alison’s response when we were seeking local organizers for the Climate, Conflict, Gender: KAIROS Canada’s Women of Courage Visit 2023. Her many connections throughout the community came in handy as we asked about Indigenous, ecological and church spaces where the partners could connect. Fluent in both French and English, she was happy to organize the local tour and host global partners from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. We are so glad she was able to arrange for CBC interviews on both the French and English shows, talking about the Women of Courage work. Gérard Kwigwasa from the DRC wrote that the news of her death was “a lightning bolt to me”; he offers condolences to the family and to KAIROS through whom he met Alison and “discovered her greatness of heart, hospitality and solidarity” (translated from the original French).
