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(Posted 10:30
a.m., Sept. 26)
Orléans girl remembered as caring, kindhearted person whose
smile could light up a room
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online
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 A
large piece of art work created by friends of Navan accident victim Ginny
Marko served as the centrepiece during her memorial service at Orleans United
Church on Friday. Fred Sherwin/Photo
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Although she
was only on this earth for a little less than 17 years, Ginny Marko touched
more lives than most people three or four times her age, as evident by the
reaction to her tragic passing.
The 16-year-old
Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School student was killed last Sunday along
with Chris Sabean, 19, and Brad Rivington, 19, when the pickup truck they
were traveling in flipped over on Heuvelmans Road near Navan. A fourth person
in the truck, Elise Grundy, remains in hospital where she is recovering
from her injuries.
Nearly 2,000
people attended a visitation for Sabean and Rivington at Kelly Funeral Home
on Thursday. Marko's family opted to hold a memorial service for their daughter
at Orleans United Church on Friday. They originally had hoped to hold the
service on Thursday, but the preparations couldn't be done in time. As a
result, the ceremony was held at the same time as Rivington's funeral service
in Navan.
Although services
were a distinct contrast from one another -- Rivington and Sabean's funerals
were held in the century old St. Mary's Anglican Church in Navan which holds
less than 250 people, while Marko's memorial service was held in the much
larger and more modern Orleans United Church -- the level of grief and sense
of loss was just as widespread and deeply felt and the turonout was equally
as huge.
Close to 800
people jammed every inch of Orleans United Church to share their grief while
celebrating the life of Heaven's newest angel.
While the services
for Sabean and Rivington were quintessentially Navan and therefore quintessentially
Chris and Brad, Marko's service was quintessentially Ginny. The altar featured
a large piece of artwork created by Marko's friends, as well as her volleyball
and soccer jerseys, her guitar, several pictures and a flock of purple and
orange balloons that stretched up to a large window as if they were anticipating
their release to the sky above.
The celebratory
theme extended to the program which featured a smiling picture of Ginny
on the front with her name written inside a large star burst underneath
it. The star burst was embellished with a bunch of spirals and short stroke
marks and looked like the type of thing you might find doodled in a school
binder.
Even the entrance
music had Marko's touch, including the Spice Girl's "Stop Right There",
which was one of her favourite songs.
In welcoming
everyone to the service, Rev. Molly Bell did her best to put into words
what the hundreds of mourners who had attended all three ceremonies were
no doubt feeling.
"None of
us wants to be here today,” Bell told the gathering. “God didn’t
need more angels, the heavens didn’t need any more stars and Ginny,
Brad and Chris didn’t need to teach us a lesson."
After the opening
prayer and a reading by Terri MacDowell, Ginny's twin brother Colin was
joined by two of her friends Mike Prusalowski and Rebecca Gillanders to
perform "In the Arms of an Angel" by Sarah McLaughlin.
Friends Ines
Stettler, Katie Abbott, Lisanne Belanger and Taylor Dumouchel then came
forward to share their fondest memories of Marko.
Dumouchel recalled
that Ginny was something of a fashion critic who often gave her unsolicited
opinion on what she was wearing even though Ginny would borrow her clothes
all the time.
They remembered
her nicknames Ginntin and GinnyPig, her infectious smile, her chubby cheeks,
and her kind nature. They recalled how she used to watch the evening news
lying on her father Michael's back before he died from ALS five years ago
and the time she tried to fool Roger's into forgiving her cell phone bill
by pretending to be her grandmother. They recalled the countless sleepovers
and the fact that Ginny was a Grade 2 math whiz at Dunning Foubert where
she went to elementary school.
"She was
my best friend in the whole world," sobbed Dumouchel.
The emotions
overflowed when Ginny's mother Mei-Lan came forward to talk about her daughter
who would constantly send her text messages even though she was a librarian
and teacher at the same school.
"I’m
leaving a large part of my heart with you,” Mei-Lan said while leaning
on the shoulder of Ginny's stepfather Mark.
“I’m
not sure how I will drag myself to go shopping or even just to get out of
bed in the morning but I promise you I will,” she said as the teenagers
and their parents wiped away their tears.
“You will
guide me throughout my entire life,” she finished.
The sobbing continued
during a pair of performances by Angela Rozman, who sang "Sissies Song",
and Haley Chartrand who sang "Breathe".
The sobs eventually
turned to giggles and even laughter when the intro to Eddie Grant's "Elecrtic
Avenue" -- another one of Ginny's favourite songs -- started up.
The brief moment
of levity did not last long, however, as it was interrupted by the processional.
As Marko's coffin
was wheeled down the aisle and out to the waiting hearse, her mother wiped
away her tears and waved to the occasional familiar face in the crowd while
keeping her outstretched left hand on the lid of the casket the entire time.
After the family
had left the church, the 70's tune "She's a Brick House" by the
Commodores started playing over the sound system as the mourners gathered
in the reception hall to continue reminiscing about an amazing young lady
who left this world far too soon.
(This story
was made possible thanks to the generous support of our local
business partners.)
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