The Kyle Cootware Memorial Page
Kyle Cootware was a guy from high school, in the grade below me. I didn't know him nearly as well as I wish I had, but he was quirky and funny and everybody, students and teachers, loved him. It was such a small school that virtually everybody at least knew everybody else's name. But on October 11, 2009, I started seeing Facebook posts saying "RIP Kyle Cootware". I thought at first it was some kind of joke, but soon realized it was not. In a matter of hours Kyle's life had been cut short by a four wheeler accident. The entire school was in a somber mood for weeks. A huge sheet of paper was put up in the lobby for people to write their condolences and memories.
At the viewing, I went down the line of family members telling them I was sorry for their loss. His mother was understandably in tears, and just hugged me. His father also looked distraught. But I'll never forget his grandfather's reaction. His grandfather, who had probably lost his share of loved ones over the course of a lifetime already, was smiling. And when I said I was sorry for his loss, he continued to smile as he said, "It's all right." He looked and sounded like he meant it.
Within a few days, God sent us a message to let us know that indeed, even though it still hurt and for some people would never stop hurting in mortality, everything was all right. Though this picture has obviously been altered, the rainbow appears exactly as it did in person.
At the viewing, I went down the line of family members telling them I was sorry for their loss. His mother was understandably in tears, and just hugged me. His father also looked distraught. But I'll never forget his grandfather's reaction. His grandfather, who had probably lost his share of loved ones over the course of a lifetime already, was smiling. And when I said I was sorry for his loss, he continued to smile as he said, "It's all right." He looked and sounded like he meant it.
Within a few days, God sent us a message to let us know that indeed, even though it still hurt and for some people would never stop hurting in mortality, everything was all right. Though this picture has obviously been altered, the rainbow appears exactly as it did in person.
Here's a poem written by my classmate Joseph Rafter that demonstrates how people felt about Cooter.
And here's a heartwarming montage made by my classmate Cassie Aldous shortly afterward as a tribute.
It wasn't long afterward that Kyle's family and some others including myself helped create a memorial garden near the school for Cooter and all the other students who had lost their lives over the years. Since then, a Cooter 5K Walk/Run has been held every year, with hundreds of participants. Proceeds go to support the Kyle Cootware Memorial Scholarship for graduating seniors who have good values and have made an impact.
