Community Gathers for Austin Cloyds Funeral

Britt Conway / WSLS NewsChannel 10
Published: April 21, 2007

"Joy. A person of joy and compassion." Pastor Tommy McDearis remembers 18 year old Austin Cloyd.

"She knew how to love other people."

Austin was one of 32 people killed in tragedy at Virginia Tech. The day of her funeral, this is her fathers message:

Thoughts of a father who is grieving for the loss of his precious daughter

What would Austin do-

April 18, 2007

Austin would want us to continue her dream of making the world a better place for everyone. She would want us to build on what we have in common, to find strength in our diversity, and to find love in our hearts. Our future must begin with forgiveness of everything in the past that keeps us apart. Austin would tell us to always do what is right, to strive for social justice whatever the price, because the cost of injustice can endure forever.

Many of the students who left us on Monday were studying foreign languages. They did this so that they might communicate with other people around the world. they dreamed of a better world. They would want us to accomplish what they now cannot. Do not let their lives end in vain. But let us find in them the strength and conviction to do what they wanted to do with their lives.

How do we go on-

April 19, 2007

We must honor our loved ones by making their dreams our own, by using our voice, our hands, and our resources to achieve what they wanted for us, for themselves, and for their children. The grandchildren we will never know, but whose places on this earth will be taken by other children who are just as precious.

Today we have opportunities and choices. Tomorrow we will have consequences and memories. We must make the most of every opportunity. We must make the right choices. In the consequences and memories of tomorrow, we must pray to find the loving embraces of our children that we long so much for today.