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"Do Good Work. Try Hard. Listen. And Love."

Mayci Breaux (left), Jillian Johnson (right)
Mayci Breaux (left), Jillian Johnson (right)
Mayci Breaux (left), Jillian Johnson (right)
Mayci Breaux (left), Jillian Johnson (right)

“This should not be a platform for political purposes,” Mayci Breaux’s uncle told Lafayette TV station KLFY last Friday.

We agree, so today we are remembering and honoring two vibrant lives that were taken from us too soon.

This week,MayciBreauxwas supposed to be starting her radiology training at Lafayette General Hospital. Instead, she is being laid to rest today.

The 21-year-old was an honors student at LSU-Eunice, former captain of her high school cheerleading team, and was making wedding plans with her high-school sweetheart, Matthew Rodriguez. He was among those injured in Thursday night’s theatre shooting.

The Franklin native grew up on her family’s sugar cane farm, and went home each weekend to be with her extended family.

Jillian Johnson was part of our extended family, as the former host/producer of “As You Were” on our sister station, KRVS. A 2004 fine arts graduate of U-L Lafayette, Johnson also designed the t-shirt given to station donors during annual fund drives.

Co-owner of Parish Ink and the Red Arrow Workshop, she was married to her partner in Red Arrow, Jason Brown. Johnson also played the ukelele, and sang lead vocals for the all-female bluegrass group “The Figs”.

The 33-year-old was an integral part of the Lafayette arts scene, Johnson was also a community activist, co-founding the Acadiana Food Circle.

Her memorial service is today.

In a 2012 interview, Johnson was asked about the principles that guided her life.

“Do good work. Try hard. Listen. And love,” she said.

That sounds like Mayci Breaux, as well.

We join in the sadness of losing Mayci and Jillian, but perhaps we can keep part of them with us, if we, too, “Do good work. Try hard. Listen. And love.”

Copyright 2015 WRKF

Sue Lincoln is a veteran reporter in the political arena. Her radio experience began in the early ’80s, in “the other L-A” — Los Angeles.