Natalie Rose Gillis

One could start by listing some of her remarkable accomplishments: A professional wilderness guide with over 1,000 days living, sleeping, and caring for clients in the remote areas of the world. An acclaimed wildlife and landscape photographer. A poet. An academic. A pilot.

But that would not capture her independent spirit that fueled her passion for learning, exploring, and constantly discovering new limits. It would not capture the immense compassion and kindness Natalie brought to the world.

She had a deep love and curiosity for the wild and natural places, which led her to seek out the breathtaking moments that so many of us miss in the busyness of our day-to-day lives. Natalie shared her passion through her camera lens and her storytelling. Her generosity was vast, taking many of us along on her countless adventures as she explored the world: observing narwhals breach from the floe edge in Nunavut, trekking through the valleys of Baffin Island, encountering penguins and icebergs while sea kayaking in Antarctica, and experiencing the world from the bird’s-eye view of her favourite plane, the Twin Otter. (To name just a few).

Never thwarted by limitations that would stymie most, she always followed through on her dreams. Natalie was epic. She was loved. She lived life to the fullest. We’ve never been so grateful for the odyssey she left behind, giving us access to her unique perspective of the world through her meticulous record keeping of her photos and poetry. Natalie released her first book of poetry in 2021 titled This is Where Atlantis Sank.

In her 34 years, she did not waste a second. This is Where Atlantis Sank – June 17th, 2024, 8:15 a.m, 42.724997° N 073.790118° W

Natalie is survived by her mother, Mary Yap, brother Matthew Yap,11-year old rescue dog Stikine, and many cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends. She will be deeply missed by the thousands of lives that she touched, on all corners of the globe.

We invite you to join us in celebrating her life on Sunday, June 23rd, 2024 from 1:00-4:00pm at Kane-Jerrett Funeral Homes 6191 Yonge St, Toronto.