The Timber Creek community came together Thursday, Feb. 16 to remember one of their own — Falcon graduate Zuzu Verk.
Many old friends and students still attending Timber Creek came to the event. Jamie Wheeler, a friend of Verk’s mother, Lori Letow, organized the candlelight vigil and lantern release. She got permission from Timber Creek principal Donnie Bartlett as well as the Verk family. She said she was very happy with how many people showed up to the memorial.
Letow wants everyone who is mourning Verk to “just heal.”
“She doesn’t seem like she would want the sadness and everything as a person, from what I know of her,” Letow explained. “So, just a matter of smiling and remember the good times and the good thoughts of her.”
Toni Casey, who’s sister was best friends with Verk, and Amanda Barnett, who’s brother knew Verk, both describe Verk as a very happy upbeat person, who could walk into a room and light it up.
“She’s made me see the world as she saw it,” Casey said. |She saw everyone as having good in them and she never doubted anyone. She always looked at people with positivity.”
“She knew that everything was going to be okay,” Barnett added, “and I never think she lost that, even in the dark days that she had.”
The memorial impacted everyone that came. Casey and Barnett were happy with how many people came to support the Verk family and to remember Zuzu Verk herself.
“It one hundred percent just makes me feel better that people know and people won’t forget about her and what she was,” said Barnett.
Casey explained to everyone who is mourning Verk to know that “we can’t change what happened, but we can just remember her and show light upon the situation and just love her.”
Simon Phabmixay, a current student of Timber Creek, knew Verk in his freshman year. They had art together and engaged in conversation often as they created their work.
“She was very nice and I’m glad to be friends with her,” Phabmixay said. “She has shown me love and friendship along the way.”
There were others there who had no connection to Verk or her family, but simply came out to support those who were mourning Verk. A freshman at TCHS named Madilyn Schiefelbein heard about Verk at a concert and felt that it was important to come and support the Verk family. Verk was a member of choir as well as Schiefelbein and believes that choir is a family no matter what, and it was her duty to be there.
“She wouldn’t want people to mourn over her, she would want people to be happy,” said Barnett. “Know that she went through a lot and she wants us to be happy.”
See photos from the vigil taken by The Creek Yearbook photographer Amanda Butler.
