Rest in Peace, Tiffany Moyer
Posted on March 9, 2009 Posted by John Scalzi 76 Comments
A classmate of Athena’s, Tiffany Moyer, passed away over the weekend. The kids in her class found out about it today. It was a rough day here.
If you could find a little time to wish peace to this little girl and her family, I would appreciate it.
Oh, no! I am so sorry to hear this. Of course Tiffany will be in my prayers, as well as her family and yours. I lost a classmate when I was twelve and it was very confusing.
Tiffany will be in my prayers and my deepest sympathies to Tiffany’s family and friends.
Godspeed, Tiffany!
Oh my goodness. How sad and scary. Tiffany and her family, as well as Athena and her classmates, will be in my prayers.
That is so sad! I work with kids this age, and well, suffice it to say, this hits home!
My prayers are with the family. It’s always a shock when someone so young passes away. How has Athena been holding up?
So sorry to hear that, John. My thoughts are with Tiffany’s family, and all at Bradford Elementary.
My prayers are with the family, her classmates, teachers, and friends.
JJB
I send my deepest sympathies and prayers to everyone affected by Tiffany’s passing, especially her family and classmates.
I hope Athena will be okay as well.
I know it’s kind of cheesy, but big internet hugs across the miles.
I’m so sorry.
I had a classmate die (killed by a drunken driver) around that age, and I honestly didn’t even particularly like him, but it still had a profound affect on me. There’s a real loss of innocence in the event. It’s still an emotionally charged set of memories.
There’s not much more to say, other than to acknowledge that this is a big deal, and it’s totally rotten, and life stubbornly goes on anyway, but hope things go as well as possible!
That’s so awful and tragic. Tiffany and her family are in my thoughts and prayers. As are Athena and her classmates, it’s so scary and confusing when someone you know dies around that age, but even more so when it’s someone your age as well.
I’m sorry to hear this, and I hope Athena is holding up.
Oh, how terrible. Sad and scary, indeed.
I am so sorry. Our thoughts will be with Tiffany, her famil and those who knew her.
Blessings and travel well, little one.
Poor kid. Is there any kind of memorial fund or charity her parents would like donations made to ?
That’s terrible. She’s the same age as my older boy and the thought of what her parents must be going thru just hurts.
My thoughts and prayers are added too.
How terrifying and tragic. I’m so sorry for Tiffany’s family, and for Athena and all her classmates and families. My family’s thoughts are with you all.
This is something no child should have to deal with. Very sad. As a parent I can’t even imagine how hers are feeling right now. I hope Athena weathers the storm well – considering her parents that shouldn’t be too tall an order. I really don’t know what else to say. God speed, little traveler.
My thoughts are with her family and friends. May she and her loved ones find peace.
I hope Athena is doing alright and I’m sorry to hear about her loss. Hang in there!
Of course my thoughts and prayers go to all of the Moyer family and friends, I just wish there was a way to send hugs to everyone who could use one right now…
Very sorry to hear this. Sending many good thoughts to all.
How awful! My sympathies to her family and to everyone else who knew her.
I don’t know how you explain the death of a classmate to a child, even one as smart as Athena. ‘Very rough day’ indeed. Best wishes to you and yours as well.
What a horror. My thoughts are with her family, friends, and classmates. I hope Athena’s bearing up all right.
To the family and friends of Tiffany Moyer, you have my sympathies and thoughts in a dark hour.
So, so sad. I still remember very vividly how struck with emotion I was when a little from my school (and daycare) was killed in a car accident.
I’m sorry, Athena, and I will keep Tiffany’s family in my prayers.
From the article, she seems to have been an extraordinary little girl. My prayers go out to Tiffany and her family and friends.
Sorry to hear. Best to Athena, her friends and their families.
Something similar happened when I was in the 7th grade — a little older, but there’s no good time to experience that shock, especially for the first time. Plus, I’m sure Athena’s class is a lot more tightly knit than my city middle school was.
I am terribly sorry. Sending hugs Athena’s way.
I’m so sorry – my thoughts are with her family. I hope Athena is doing as well as can be expected.
Oh no… I lost a friend in 9th grade… a bit older than that, but I remember how just UNFAIR it seemed. I’m very sorry and will keep Tiffany, her family and the kids in my thoughts.
I’m reminded of the custom of the Church of Humanity Unchained in Dave Weber’s Honorverse series. When someone passes, part of the ritual is that each person present shares a memory. I don’t know where Dave got that tradition, but it is a good one. Telling the stories to one another… helps.
May she who is passed find peace where she goes, and may those who remain find peace in the memories.
There are some really great books out there to help kids process death.
I’ve used the following in my work as a pastor with kids facing loss, although it is not a religious book
Why Did You Die?: Activities to Help Children Cope With Grief and Loss – Erica Leeuwenburgh & Ellen Goldring
Dear Tiffany,
I am so sorry that you are no longer with us. I don’t know what else to say (but I know that is not enough). My tears and prayers are with your family.
I am so sorry to hear this.
A good friend of mine died suddenly when we were in sixth grade.
I am so sorry.
How terrible when someone so young is taken so suddenly.
Strange, too – a friend of mine recently flew home to the Fostoria/Bowling Green area because one of her friends from school lost her daughter under similar circumstances.
Thoughts go out to Tiffany’s family.
I’m so sorry. My prayers are with her family.
Thats awful – sorry doesn’t even begin to cover it – but nothing truly does, so…I’m sorry.
My prayers are also with her family and friends
Sorry to hear that a classmate of Athena’s passed. It’s always hard on parents, moreso when the children are young.
I don’t recall losing any classmates until High School, but then lost several parents and classmates and ex-classmates. I had the unfortunate luck to be the managing editor on the high school paper when we lost one recent graduate to suicide in college, a schoolmate who I’d been with on several school activities to brain tumor, and then one of that kid’s parents to suicide. It was a rough year.
Technoshaman @32 –
I don’t know where Weber got the idea, but that’s one of the aspects of the Quaker religion in the US which has stuck with me. One side of my family are Quakers. Couples marrying themselves in front of the gathered witnesses, and the speakings at funerals, were two aspects of the Quaker religion that I remember well.
This is horribly tragic. I can’t imagine how devastating this must be for her family. I hope Athena is doing OK. It must have been a bad shock for the kids.
Tiffany and family are in my thoughts as are Athena and your family. Words are never enough, but they help sometimes.
That’s just terrible. You’ll all be in my thoughts.
Oh :( My heart goes out to her family, and to Athena and your family. I still haven’t forgotten the name of the classmate that died in 2nd grade, and I’m 33. That’s the sort of thing that you hang onto.
Its good to see that they’re getting help and counseling. Back in 82, when Mickey died, we didn’t get any of that sort of thing.
So sad and so scary. A friend’s child died of similar symptoms caused by Viral Myocarditis. Soso sorry for that family.
Oh, my. Sending nothing but positive thoughts Athena and her classmates’ way.
I’m very sorry. I had a classmate die when I was eight, and I remember it clearly.
If a teacher is not already doing something similar, perhaps you might suggest a memorial of some sort?
My class donated books to the public library in Ronnie’s name, and I remember that–and the sense of pride we felt at doing something good–as clearly as I remember the loss.
Children are not supposed to die. The world isn’t meant to work that way.
My thoughts and prayers are with Tiffany’s family and friends in this terribly difficult time.
I’m so sorry. Death is difficult at any age, but the death of a child is especially awful. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and classmates.
That’s heartbreaking… the summing up of her life accomplishments was much too short of a list.
Prayers for Athena and for Tiffany’s family
Sorry to hear about this, John. I hope Athena and her classmates will find comfort. It’s good that she’ll have you to turn to.
Honestly, it’s been a lousy week for news of this sort. This is the fourth death (two students, and two older but vital men) that have crossed my path this week (and it’s only Tuesday). God willing, the rest of the week will be free of such tidings for us all.
Sean
I’m so sorry to hear this news. My love to Tiffany and her family. And to yours, John, because love is what we all need to get through loss. I am so sorry that Athena has to learn lessons of grief so young.
Only a stranger on the internet but please pass along my condolences.
More condolences from across the pond – I can’t imagine what her parents must be going through right now.
(That report screams “Meningitis” BTW, if it were my kid’s school I’d be checking their vaccinations).
My thought, too, Andy, although influenza is a killer with its own powers and too easily ignored as a cold; it almost got me in USMC boot camp.
My condolences to Tiffany’s family and friends. She sounds like a wonderful person who I’d love to have met. Those of you there, please hug everyone for me, several times.
I hope Tiffany’s family finds comfort and healing as time passes. I hope you and Krissie help Athena find comfort. It’s a horrible cliche, but sometimes bad things happen to good people and we don’t ever know why.
That’s horrible news. My sympathies to both your family and Tiffany’s. I can imagine a little bit what it’s like there. My daughter lost a couple of classmates in high school. It was traumatic for her at the time.
My prayers to Tiffany, condolences to her family, and to sympathies to Athena.
Really sorry to hear about this. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and also Athena.
How very terrible. All my goodwill to Athena and her classmates, and of course to Tiffany, gone too soon.
My condolences to Tiffany’s family.
My sympathies to Athena and her friends–all I can tell you is that it can help if you write/or record somehow about the things you remember about Tiffany. One day it will become a cherished link to your friend.
Y’all are in my prayers.
Tiffany was a wonderful little girl. For those wondering, the community is supporting the family as best we can.
My deepest sympathies to Tiffany’s family and all those close to her. My heart goes out out to Athena.
It’s rough losing someone close to you when both you and that person are so young (I’ve been there). My thoughts and good vibes go out to everyone.
Athena, I’m very, very sorry to hear you’ve lost a classmate, a friend.
I hope you had fun together. I hope the good times and the friendship are what you remember about Tiffany.
So very sorry for the girls parents, of course. But also to the Scalzi clan. A recall a classmate losing his dad in the 1979 DC-10 crash in Chicago, when I was 9. The mom was (and is) a good friend of my Mom’s. These sort of childhood traumas never don’t suck – it always sucks – even thirty years later. But it starts to get better pretty soon. I know Athena’s in good hands on dealing with it.
I wish everyone who knew this girl peace and endurance during this difficult time.
I’m so sorry. My eleven year old son lost a friend of his this last fall, and it was a devastating experience for all of us. My heart goes out to Tiffany’s family, and yours. The loss of a child is truly terrible.
Deepest regrets and condolences to the family and friends. I’m so sorry y’all have to deal with such a thing.
I’m sorry to hear about this. I wish her family strength and the love and support of their community. I know the death of a child is not really something one gets over, but I hope they can be comforted by the joy she brought them.
My best wishes for Athena too.
Athena will always remember Tiffany, but it will hurt less over time. My sympathies.
My parents didn’t believe in taking children to funerals, so the first funeral I ever went to was for a 12-year-old classmate. I can’t describe how traumatic that was.
i knew tiffany.im 13 and i passed her in the hallways.when i heard she was no longer on this earth it wa sshocking.tiffany u will always be in my prayers
rest in peace♥
hey i think that it was a terrible thing what happened to tiffany but thats just gods way of saying he wants to see her happy smile
Hi my name is Regina and i just want to send all my blessing to all of you and just say that u all will be in my prayers!!!!!
tiffany was my best friends friend she always ask if can play but we couldnt.someday we should of played with her i fell so bad for her but shes in a better place now
I never knew Tiffany, but from the stories i have heard i felt like i knew her soo.. much. My friend Alaina Blackburn knew her and they were good friends and she was so… sad :[.. tiffy will be in my prayers ..She kind of reminds me of Rachel Scott…