We will miss you, Chief!

In times of celebration and tragedy, it is especially difficult to be away from your family and friends. Today, we are feeling that truth... hard. Jessica Bungard, a good friend of ours from college, passed away on Sunday morning after being hit by car as she was cycling near her home in Fredericksburg,Virginia. Link

Knowing that her family, her wonderful husband, Cody, and all of our many mutual friends are also hurting makes dealing with this shared loss even harder. I wish that we could be together to share our tears, hugs and wonderful memories. We love you guys and I know I don't say that nearly enough.

I can still remember the first time I saw Jess. It was move-in day on my first day of college. My father and I caught a glimpse of her from the third floor balcony of Maupin dorm. She was conducting the VA Pep Band as they played for all the new students and their parents. An absolute zest was readily apparent in the way she moved and shouted. She was having fun and anyone watching her couldn't help but feel a bit of that joy.

Since the moment we heard the sad news, great memories have been flowing back. I can hear Jess saying so many things like "Awww, yeah!", "Word", "Ow, ow", "I was just kidding...", "Fooled you!", "It's time for $240 worth of pudding.", "Calling Andrew Rader... Calling Andrew wrong", "Let's go Boogie Down! Ah!".... It's hard to grasp that we won't get to hear these catchphrases again.

To everyone that knows Jess, please keep blogging, e-mailing and updating things on Facebook. Especially for those of us who are not nearby, it helps to share in this way. Memorial Link

We will miss you, Chief!!!

(In the above photo from our August 2006 trip to Costa Rica, Jess is the fourth one from the right in the back row.)