A DAUGHTER OF MONTOURSVILLE COMES HOME
\nT-SHIRT, SNEAKERS AND `JANE EYRE’
\nOFFERED ON THE ALTAR HELP TELL THE STORY
\nOF A VIBRANT LIFE ENDED TOO SOONThursday, July 25, 1996<\/p>\n
Page: 1A
\nBy DAWN SHURMAITIS; Times Leader Staff Writer<\/p>\n
MONTOURSVILLE — On the altar of the Catholic church, next to the water and
\nwine, lay a frayed pair of sneakers, a faded black T-shirt and a paperback
\nso often read that its cover was gone.<\/p>\n
The stuff of life. Monica Cox’s life.<\/p>\n
During her funeral Wednesday, Monica’s family brought their own version of
\n“offerings” to the altar. More than the eloquent sermon, or the tearful
\neulogies, the green sneakers, Grateful Dead shirt and copy of “Jane Eyre”
\ntold Monica’s story best.<\/p>\n
The 16-year-old girl was an athlete, a poet and a music lover. The
\nmuch-loved daughter of Cindy and Rob Cox.<\/p>\n
Monica Cox was also a “first.” A sad first.<\/p>\n
Hers was the first body from the TWA Flight 800 tragedy to return to
\nMontoursville, which lost 16 high school French club students on July 17
\nwhen the Paris-bound plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Long Island.<\/p>\n
The students, 13 girls and three boys, ranged from soon-to-be sophomores to
\nrecent high school graduates.<\/p>\n
When the Rev. Stephen McGough, a Wilkes-Barre native, mentioned the many
\nclassmates gathered in Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, the priest’s
\nvoice broke.<\/p>\n
“I have watched you hold onto each other. You know a pain we don’t,”
\nMcGough said. “There are no answers we can provide you this morning. It
\nprompts us to call to God, whose heart was the first to break when Flight
\n800 fell from the sky.”<\/p>\n
Monica, he told the mourners gathered in a room bathed by colors from
\nstained glass, is now an angel.<\/p>\n
“Smile at her. Laugh with her. Hear her say, `You’ve got to love me.’ ”<\/p>\n
Another room stocked with mementos<\/p>\n
Off the church chapel, in another room filled with flowers, a single table
\ndisplayed more precious mementos of a too-short life.<\/p>\n
A Popsicle stick plaque for “My favorite daddy.” A story written in a
\nchild’s hand that begins, “My mother is special to me because she always
\nhelps me when I’m hurt.”<\/p>\n
A softball mitt. Bowling trophies. A single baby shoe. A framed needlepoint
\ninscribed “Monica Eileen Cox. Dec. 28, 1979. 7 lbs. 13 oz. Williamsport,
\nPa.”<\/p>\n
And, there were photos.<\/p>\n
A chubby-cheeked baby waving from her highchair.<\/p>\n
Looking sleepy on Christmas morning, unwrapping gifts in her flannel robe.<\/p>\n
Dressed all in white as a princess for Halloween. Holding the hand of her
\nbaby brother Brian.<\/p>\n
And then, in a photo album, a picture of promise — Monica as a
\nfreckle-faced teen with wide brown eyes and her mother’s thick dark hair.<\/p>\n
The last picture — with a giggling girlfriend, sticking her tongue out at
\nthe camera — shows the Monica her friends say they will remember best.<\/p>\n
The sometimes silly, most times serious girl. The feminist who liked mixing
\nskirts with clunky boots. The one who held onto her stuffed gorilla and
\noft-hugged Goofy while listening to all-girl punk bands.<\/p>\n
A classmate pointed out a pen-and-ink portrait Monica drew last year during
\nschool.<\/p>\n
“She was so proud of it,” said Tiffany Barton, who smiled even as she wiped
\naway tears. “The day she finished it, she carried it with her all day.”<\/p>\n
Another father looks for closure<\/p>\n
Cindy and Rob Cox walked tall into the church behind the oak box that
\ncarried their daughter’s body. Their 5-year-old son Brian walked between
\nthem, holding tight to their hands.<\/p>\n
The sweet aroma of red roses, yellow mums and pink carnations blended with
\nthe pungent scent of incense. Recalling Monica’s baptism, the priest
\nsprinkled water on the white cloth draped over the casket.<\/p>\n
“My brothers and sisters. All over this town of Montoursville there is a
\ngreat deal of sadness and grief,” McGough began. “Monica’s days were so
\nshort. May she live radiant and young in your kingdom.”<\/p>\n
A soloist in the balcony began to sing “Do not be afraid. I am with you” as
\nMonica’s aunts read from Scripture.<\/p>\n
Midway through the Mass, Rob Cox walked to the podium. He chose that moment
\nto reach out to the others in his community who suffered so much.<\/p>\n
“I want to offer our support to all the other families who also lost a
\nchild,” he said before his soft voice choked with grief.<\/p>\n
“I’m sure Monica will help them get where they need to go.”<\/p>\n
Inside the church, another father listened intently to Cox’s words.<\/p>\n
Jeff Bohlin learned Tuesday night at 7:23 p.m. that his daughter, Michelle,
\nwas also coming home. Her body was finally identified.<\/p>\n
“That makes it easier,” he said later, outside the church. “Hopefully,
\nthere will be some closure.”<\/p>\n
Jeff Bohlin was joined by his daughter, Erika, who carried pictures of
\n15-year-old Michelle laughing during a band trip to Toronto.<\/p>\n
“She just made varsity cheerleader,” said Erika, 17, as she gathered with
\nfriends after the Mass.<\/p>\n
“Now, I’m an only child.”<\/p>\n
Sitting by himself in a red car, listening to the band Primus, was Monica’s
\nboyfriend. He didn’t want to talk, preferring to say his piece with the
\nwords he spray-painted on the windows of his Ford.<\/p>\n
“We will miss you forever, Monica. 4 ever. Sean.”<\/p>\n
Signs of grief remain everywhere<\/p>\n
Everywhere in Montoursville Wednesday, signs of grief remained: blue and
\nyellow ribbons, gravediggers opening the earth, flags flying at half-staff.<\/p>\n
Everywhere, there were signs of life carrying on: The movie “Phenomenon”
\nadvertised at the Lycoming Mall, the summer sale at the hardware store, the
\nkids hanging out at the local pool.<\/p>\n
Outside the church, McGough told the media the young parents are deriving
\ngreat comfort from the outpouring of calls, notes, flowers and just plain
\npats on the back from friends and strangers.<\/p>\n
“But after the initial wave of concern is gone, the parents will have to
\nlook at that empty bed, that empty room, that empty place at the table,”
\nMcGough said. “That’s when the second wave of grief will hit.”<\/p>\n
Her parents plan to have Monica cremated. The priest explained it this way:
\n“I suspect so the ashes will always be with them.”<\/p>\n
AP PHOTO<\/p>\n
Mementos are displayed in Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church during
\nWednesday’s funeral for Monica Cox, a 16-year-old teen who was the first
\nvictim of TWA Flight 800 from Montoursville to be brought home.<\/p>\n
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A DAUGHTER OF MONTOURSVILLE COMES HOME T-SHIRT, SNEAKERS AND `JANE EYRE’ OFFERED ON THE ALTAR HELP TELL THE STORY OF A VIBRANT LIFE ENDED TOO SOONThursday, July 25, 1996 Page: 1A By DAWN SHURMAITIS; Times Leader Staff Writer MONTOURSVILLE — On the altar of the Catholic church, next to the water and wine, lay a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-crime"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/dawnshurmaitis.net\/works\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/dawnshurmaitis.net\/works\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/dawnshurmaitis.net\/works\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dawnshurmaitis.net\/works\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dawnshurmaitis.net\/works\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=78"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/dawnshurmaitis.net\/works\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/dawnshurmaitis.net\/works\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=78"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dawnshurmaitis.net\/works\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=78"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dawnshurmaitis.net\/works\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=78"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}