LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- When Lou Fedon arrived in the United States from Haiti in 1991, he was only a teenager—quiet, determined, and hoping for a chance at a safer life.
His homeland was in chaos, torn apart by a violent military coup. Thousands fled by boat. Many were intercepted and sent back. But Fedon was placed with a foster family in Philadelphia, beginning a long journey that eventually led him to Louisville and into the heart of a growing Haitian community.
Last week, that journey ended in tragedy.
Fedon and his 3-year-old granddaughter, Kimberly Asa, were among three Haitians killed on the ground when UPS Flight 2976 crashed into the Grade A Auto Parts lot on Nov. 4 . They had simply stopped by to pick up a few items. It was a routine errand—one that placed them in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Dr. Celeve Izean, a longtime spiritual advisor and friend of more than 30 years, still remembers the young man he met shortly after arriving in America himself.
“I met him when I came to America,” Pastor Izean recalled. “He was in his early teens. He was in foster care … just a young kid trying to start over.”
Fedon built a life in Louisville that became anchored in hard work and family. He worked at Grade A Auto Parts, supported relatives here and abroad, and became known as a steady, reliable presence—the backbone and primary provider for his loved ones.
Izean, who once led the Haitian Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Louisville, returned to the city last week to help families navigate the confusion and heartbreak following the crash.
“They were so busy, going back and forth to places,” he said of the grieving relatives.
He confirmed that he knew two of the three Haitian victims, including Fedon and his granddaughter.
“I knew Louious,” he said softly. “I didn’t know the baby… his grandchild who died with him.”
As of now, the family has not finalized funeral arrangements. For the Haitian community in Louisville—small but tightly connected—the loss feels immeasurable.
Fedon survived political turmoil, displacement, and the uncertainty of starting over in a foreign country. Friends say he found purpose, stability, and community in Louisville. But on Nov. 4, a simple visit to an auto parts lot cut short not just his life, but the life of a child who had barely begun hers.
Both are now being mourned by family members, friends, and a community that once helped Fedon find his way in a new world—and is now coming together to honor him one last time.
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