The family of Capt. Jennifer Casey says the member of the Snowbirds aerobatic team died while supporting an important mission “that seemed to be designed for her.”

The 35-year-old Casey, a military public affairs officer and a Halifax native, was killed in the crash of a Snowbirds Tutor jet in a residential area of Kamloops, B.C., on Sunday.

Casey’s family says the Snowbirds’ cross-country tour known as Operation Inspiration had a purpose to make Canadians happy in a time of uncertainty, and there was “no better person to carry out that mission than Jenn.”

They say Casey, a former journalist, was a proud Nova Scotian who served as an advocate and ambassador for her home province.

They described her as a storyteller who was a dedicated member of the Snowbirds team and who thrived as a member of the Armed Forces.

The statement was read Wednesday on behalf of her family by honorary Lt.-Col. Corrine MacLellan at the navy dockyard in Halifax.

The jet’s pilot, Capt. Richard MacDougall of Moncton, N.B., survived the crash, which occurred shortly after takeoff, and is being treated for injuries the military and his family have said are not life-threatening.

(Canadian Press)