A crowd gathers for a vigil Friday evening in memory of Jason Lavoie at the Kennedy Park gazebo in Lewiston. Lavoie, a local educator and one-time candidate for the School Committee, died Thanksgiving morning after falling out of a window on Park Street. Friends and co-workers remembered his humor and spoke about how he was always trying to improve the lives of the people in his community. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Jess Paquette speaks Friday during a vigil for Jason Lavoie, who died Thanksgiving Day after falling from a window on Park Street. Pauquette spoke of Lavoie’s generosity and kindness. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Linda Scott, left, a Lewiston City Council member, opens a vigil with a moment of silence Friday for Jason Lavoie, who died Thanksgiving morning after falling from a window on Park Street. Scott recalled how Lavoie, a local educator and one-time candidate for the School Committee, spoke passionately for the homeless community and on mental health issues. “He was not afraid to speak about his own process and life as an example of what needed to happen,” Scott said. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal