It is with a heavy heart that we share with you that our dear friend and MDSC photographer Kyle Gendron, who for 8 years captured the spirit and reality of the Down syndrome movement here in Massachusetts, has died after a long battle with colorectal cancer. He was 44. 

Kyle has been an unsung hero of the Down syndrome movement in Massachusetts ever since his daughter, Mary Elizabeth, was born with Down syndrome in November 2004. At countless events and gatherings, he quietly took photos that brought to life the ethos of our community, a vision shared with the MDSC of inclusion, empowerment and acceptance for people with Down syndrome. 

Boston Globe columnist Beverly Beckham may have said it best in a recent column. She wrote that Kyle was "unmatched in his ability to capture not just the physical - a child at play, a brother and sister clowning around - but the ephemeral, too - a sister's pride, a mother's love." 

Kyle considered himself an "amateur photographer." ("I'm just a regular guy who likes photography," he said on his website.) His work however proved that he was a true professional, photographing children and adults with Down syndrome and those who love them with a loving eye. 

"Kyle has left a lasting imprint on the Down syndrome community here in Massachusetts through the gift of his photography that so beautifully portrays people with Down syndrome," said MDSC Executive Director Maureen Gallagher. "Whether at major events, group gatherings or family photo shoots, Kyle always captured the moments, big and small, that got to the heart of who people with Down syndrome are as individuals and who we are as a community."
 

"His dedication over the past eight years to chronicle MDSC's programs and events made lasting memories for all of us to enjoy," Gallagher said.
"We are deeply saddened by his passing and we will forever be indebted to him and his family for all that they have done to make this world a better place."

Kyle was beloved for his heart as much as for his photographer's eye. Kathy Healy Norton of Westford got to know Kyle because she, too, has a young daughter with Down syndrome. "He is first and foremost a family man," she told Cape Cod Pulse. "I don't know if I've ever seen him without one of his children by his side. From tee ball, to play group, to baseball, to skiing - Kyle is there." Kyle is survived by his wife Kerry, daughter Mary Elizabeth (known affectionately as M-E), and his two sons, Thomas and Matthew.                                                                               

Kyle and Chewbacca on a family trip to DisneyWorld this summer

Healy Norton noted that despite battling cancer for more than two years, Kyle never let the disease get the best of him. "At a time when no one would blame him for closing himself in with his family, he and Kerry opened their doors, and their hearts, and welcomed anyone and everyone into their home," she said.

This generosity of spirit was woven throughout Kyle's life. His volunteerism was boundless, and from the very beginning Kyle gave the MDSC full access to his trove of photos. As Beckham, an MDSC Board member, described it, Kyle would "lug around his camera equipment and shoot hundreds of photos for hours on end at Buddy Walks. At the annual Bruins All-Star Hockey Game. At Fenway Park. At Morning Travelers. Beautiful photos. No matter if he'd had chemo the day before."

Indeed, year after year, Kyle shot virtually every kind of event for the MDSC - our Educators Forums, New Family Socials, 1st ever Advocacy Day, 1st Buddy Walk & Harvest Fair, the last 6 Annual Conferences and the last 7 Wakefield Buddy Walks. He was even willing to step outside his comfort zone behind the camera, last year going on Burlington Community Television to promote our Buddy Walk & Family Festival and Down syndrome awareness. 

In March, at our 2014 Annual Conference, we honored Kyle with the MDSC Media Award for his body of work. We had told Kyle that he could leave his camera home that day, but in typical Kyle fashion, he refused and the photos that resulted are stunning. During his acceptance speech, Kyle brought M-E on stage and was given a lengthy standing ovation that brought hundreds to tears. 

Kyle received the MDSC's Media Award at our 30th Annual Conference in March 2014.

Kyle grew up in Wareham, Massachusetts, where he graduated high school before attending Cape Cod Community College. In the 1990s he worked for TNT Vacations and Vantage Deluxe World Travel. From 1998 to 2012, he worked for Frito-Lay Corporation, a job he had to leave due to his illness.