News-Record.com

You're right, Doug. A horrible end to an overall pretty crappy year. A devastating loss to his family and whole community. Mind numbing. A true gentleman.

I worked with Connie and almost 2 months later we are still having a hard time walking into the school. Most of the time I avoid the office just so I don't go past her office and break down. At times employees will call her voice mail just so we can hear her voice. This some how makes us feel like she is still here. We long to here her laugh and say "Oh, Mylanta!" when we would say something she thought was funny. Connie was always very upbeat even during her cancer diagnosis. You could always go to Connie when you needed a break or a good laugh. There was never a dull moment when she was around. It is very hard to be at school but it also a place we can be and feel her presence.

We were all very blessed to have known Connie. She was beautiful in every way. She was a wonderful wife, mother, friend, co worker and Christian. We could all learn by following in Connie's footsteps. Everyone who knew her well loved her and having her taken away from us so quickly and at such a young age is very devastating. I pray that peace will soon come to David and the children. They are suffering a huge loss and I could never imagine the feelings and hurt they are going through. At this point I think the shock of it all has worn off and now pure grief has set in for all of us. There isn't a second of everyday that we don't think of Connie and miss her. We will always have vivid images of her wave and how she would lay her head back as she would laugh at something you had just said or done. I feel extremely lucky and blessed to have been able to get to know Connie as well as I did over the last 2 years. There is a huge void in my life now that she is gone. Connie could always take an idea and turn it into something great. If you had an idea but didn't know how to turn it into reality then you could give it to Connie and she would make it work. I have never met anyone like Connie before and I feel I never will. You don't come across too many people in your life that make that much of a positive impact. She always had a way of making you feel good about yourself and what you were doing. Working in the public school system can sometimes be draining and make you wonder if what you were doing was right. Connie would always give you a pep talk and make you realize that yes it was worthwhile and that we were making a difference in a child's life who may not have had that otherwise. What we do as teachers is amazing and she always reminded us of that. The wonderful glow that Connie had made us all feel wonderful and proud. I just hope that we make Connie proud as we continue to work with the children at school. We all have a special angel watching over us. I know I feel lucky to have Connie watching over me!

Very nice tribute. Thanks for writing.

WOW! I am proud of the things people are saying about our lovely Connie. She was so much more than any of us can ever put into words. Almost four months later and we still feel the pain of the loss as if it were just yesterday that we lost her. That wonderful upbeat, "tell it like it is" feeling is no longer alive in our school. I'm not sure we will ever recover from this loss. I too find it very hard to be in the office area where Connie worked however you find yourself making excuses to go there just to look around at what use to be her office. Her things aren't there but you can still see everything in your mind just as it was. Her family photos sitting on the window ledge, her desk arranged just so and her little notes on her board above her desk. Everyday I wish I could wake up and realize this was just a horrible nightmare and see Connie walking by in the halls again. We now have a collage photo hanging at school with everyone in the school's picture in the collage. Connie and her son, Sam are in the photo several times. It is so good to remember those times. Anything to hold on to a minute of the past! You never know what the future holds.