“Rachel talked frequently about the friendships she developed here in Akron and how grateful she was for her inner circle of friends. After spending the last three days here in Akron with this wonderful group of people, I can easily see why she felt so blessed to have developed these relationships.

“They say if you can find one true friend in your life you are blessed. We are all so blessed because, in Rachel, we were privileged to have that one true friend. Matthew, chapter 5, verses 14–15, tell us, ‘You are like a light for the whole world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl; instead it is put on the lamp stand where it gives light to everyone in the house.’ Rachel has always been that bright light to all of us.

“My husband, Mitch, is forever reminding our three boys that decisions shape our lives and ultimately shape who we become as individuals. We all have a question before us today, and that question is: what meaning will we attach to these events? If we choose tragedy, we all will lose. My challenge to all of us today, myself included, and what I would like to leave everyone with, is to take that piece of Rachel that we were so fortunate to experience and to hold it forever in our hearts. By allowing it always to inspire us to be better mothers, fathers, and friends, we will carry Rachel and Evan’s light forward.”

Reverend Kirkpatrick thanked Carolyn, and asked Evan’s fifth-grade math teacher, Mr. Suder, to say a few words about his student. Suder was a short-statured, older fellow nearing retirement, who was known for his big heart, good cheer, and love of children. He talked about how Evan always had a smile on his face, and recalled his wonderful, infectious laughter, raising a chuckle when he told the story of the day Evan discovered the joy of mathematics. After a poor grade on a test, he suggested to Evan that if by some fluke he didn’t make it to the major leagues, he was sure to have a great career as a statistician, and then explained to him was that was. Evan quickly became an A student from that moment on. His voice then turned somber as he expressed the sadness all the teachers felt over the fact that Evan would not have the opportunity to continue to share his gifts. He then pulled himself up to his full height, apologized for the folly of a math teacher attempting to read a poem, and launched into Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for Death.” His rich, stentorian voice gave way to a whisper by the time he arrived at the last sentence.