REGINA -- On Bell Let’s Talk day, friends and colleagues of Regina businesswoman, Joan Stricker, are honouring her life and remembering the woman who "lit up every room".

“Joan would chat with anyone and everyone,” said Raelene Ward, an employee at Fries Tallman Lumber. “And you [knew] if she was late, it was because she got stuck in a conversation with somebody.”

Stricker, who owned Fries Tallman Lumber with her husband, Kevin, was known for giving back to both the community and her employees.

“If Joan set her mind to something, she was 150 per cent committed to making sure that it was done and done right,” said Andy Boha, Fries Tallman Lumber’s general manager.

“Joan was always positive [and] laughing. You heard her voice the minute she walked into a room,” Ward said.

Stricker dealt with mental illness, but the 57-year-old wasn’t afraid to share her struggles with others.

“She had said it was more after their son was born, [she] suffered from postpartum [depression], and how it was so severe,” said Carol Cross, who also works at Fries Tallman Lumber.

“She said if you don’t talk about it, it doesn’t get fixed. So, she was very open about it,” Boha said.

On Sept.23, 2019, Regina police found Stricker’s body a short distance from her abandoned vehicle in the R.M. of Edenwold. She died by suicide.

Ward said the staff at Fries Tallman Lumber found out about Stricker’s death shortly afterwards.

“We knew that she was getting help and she had reached out to people. But the way everything was so sudden, it was just shocking. You never expected it,” Ward said.

The business stayed open in the days after Stricker’s death, because "that’s what Joan would have wanted". The staff coped with the loss by sharing stories and memories about Stricker.

“I came to realize that what she was suffering from was truly a disease,” Boha said. “It's as devastating a disease as any of the other ones that are out there, in some cases even more so.”

Boha said Stricker’s death has changed his perspective on mental health, and he hopes her story will encourage others who may be suffering, to find help.

“Please, please, you know, reach out, and just try and talk to as many people as you can,” Boha said. “We don't know what the fix is. We don't know that. And so we've got to keep working on it and try and find a solution.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, here are some resources that are available.

Crisis Services Canada (1-833-456-4566 or text 45645) or Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868) offer ways of getting help if you, or someone you know, may be suffering from mental health issues.

If you need immediate assistance call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.