Missing Wilfrid Laurier student has died

Smart, kind and bubbly – that’s how friends of Stephen Lyndon describe the 23-year-old British exchange student.

“He’s the guy with the biggest heart and the biggest personality that I’ve ever met,” said Lukas Rueger. “No matter where you were, he was in the middle of the room, everybody loved him.”

On Tuesday morning, Wilfrid Laurier University, where Lyndon was studying in the Faculty of Arts, confirmed he had died. His friends had reported him missing on Saturday.

No details have been released by the unversity or police about the circumstances of his death.

“I just thought it was a bad dream,” said Rueger. “And I just wanted to wake up from that bad dream.”

Flags at Wilfrid Laurier University were lowered to half mast on Tuesday in Lyndon’s honour.

A message posted on the university’s website said funeral arrangements will be shared when information is available.

“Stephen was a gentleman who was well loved, who was admired,” said Ivan Joseph, WLU’s vice-president of student affairs. “His loss is going to be felt deeply in our community.”

Joseph said the university had been in touch with Lyndon's family in the U.K. and the student’s parents are coming to Waterloo to bring Lyndon home.

“My heart goes out for them,” said Joseph. “They commented on what a good boy he was and just how much they’re going to miss him.”

His friends say while Stephen is gone, he will never be forgotten.

“He had jokes, and we just experienced so much joy together,” said Rueger.

A list of support services for students, staff and faculty are available here.