“She was a leader, a leader for all the children in the classroom where she taught,” classmate Allison Frost, an early childhood education major, told an audience that included Kacie’s mother, Lori, and older sister, Ali. “She was a leader for all those lucky enough to know her.”
Kacie and her father, Tom, died early Thursday afternoon, April 1, when the single-engine plane piloted by Mr. Hausfeld crashed shortly after takeoff at Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport in Miami Twp. Initial reports by the FAA indicated the pilot was attempting to turn around after discovering a cargo door ajar. In one of his last radio messages, though, Mr. Hausfeld indicated engine trouble, according to a common traffic advisory frequency recording by UD associate professor Andrew Sarangan, a commercial pilot and flight instructor who lives about a mile from the airport.
In his opening remarks at the service, the Rev. Christopher Wittmann consoled the students, who were returning from spring break Monday. He told them that “being strong” was “bad advice.”
“None of us is as strong as death; none of us is as strong as the tragedy of last Thursday,” Wittmann said on a dais decorated with Easter lillies and a large wooden cross. “That is why we pray. Our goal is not to be strong but to be weak and let Christ’s love and power be strong in us.”
In a lighter moment, teammate Rachael Broerman joked about Kacie’s drinking skills, how she “completely lacked the ability” to chug a beer or handle alcohol much at all.
“She was a sipper,” Broerman said to laughs.
Sheffield, at times pausing to gather himself, spoke of Kacie’s determination, winning attitude and warmth. “She would open her heart and let people in,” Sheffield said. “It was so obvious she got that from Tom and Lori.”
Outside the service, Associate Professor Shauna Adams called Kacie “quite a remarkable student” who was finishing up her preschool practicum in Dayton Public Schools.
Classmate Laura Schmidt said, “You could see her passion for children everyday. She was one of those (future teachers) you knew would be great.”
Classmate Alison Suranovic said she appreciated the chance for students to gather, reflect on Kacie and support each other.
“It still doesn’t seem real,” Suranovic said. “I don’t think it’s going to be real for a while.”
Kacie’s death was the third student death at UD this school year. The two previous were by suicide, including one in late March.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7408 or agottschlich@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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