Toronto jazz musician fatally struck in collision remembered as ‘talented,’ ‘beautiful’ person

A woman fatally struck in a collision in The Junction neighbourhood on Monday evening is being remembered as a “wonderful and beautiful person” who was a beloved member of Toronto’s jazz community.

On Wednesday, residents dropped off flowers and candles at a makeshift memorial at the corner of Annette Street and Pacific Avenue, where Julia Cleveland died.

Toronto police said a Hyundai Elantra struck a Hyundai Tucson at the intersection and veered off onto the northwest corner, striking Cleveland and her partner, John.

She was pronounced dead at the scene, while John and the driver of the Tucson were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The cause of the collision is unknown.

“The world will not be the same without her,” Cleveland’s sister Tara told CP24 on Tuesday. She said her sister, who was a jazz musician and composer, was working on some brand-new compositions and was planning to perform them in about a month.

“She was so talented. It wasn’t just her talent. She was just a genuinely amazing, beautiful person in every way.”

Tara said John had to perform CPR with a broken arm while they were waiting for paramedics to arrive.

“He’s pretty banged up, but and he’s massively in shock,” she said. “He’s an amazing guy and they were very much in love with each other.”

In a separate statement, the family said Cleveland also worked as the finance manager for the Toronto Musicians Association, which was her way of giving back to the music community.

Tara urged motorists to slow down and be careful on the road.

“It just takes a little too much speeding and a moment of inattention, and you can just rip someone off the face of the earth,” she said. “And we all need just to slow down.”