Alicia Anne Stramiello, 20, was called to return home to heaven on Friday.
Her beautiful eulogy given by her father:
She was born in Pennsylvania and lived there for a year before moving with her family to Macon. She might have been born a Yankee, but she sure did enjoy being a Southerner. If only I could have gotten her to eat Barbeque with me. Just two weeks ago Alicia was able to go to her first UGA football game as an, official Georgia Bulldog.
Michael and Warren meant the world to Alicia. She adored them. She would do anything in the world for them. Michael was a great 'Big Brother' at college. She could really drive him crazy, and poor Michael just kept coming back for more. Warren was always talking with her from California. Alicia couldn't wait for Warren to become a successful lawyer ... so he could buy her that car that she claimed he had always promised her. Warren's illness was such a moving experience for Alicia. She would paint pictures for him and make such beautiful cards. She learned to express her sorrow through creativity.
Alicia was in a constant struggle with Crohn's Disease. We remember the suffering that Alicia went through when she was first diagnosed with Crohn?s. As she was laying in her hospital bed being consoled by her doctor, he held her hand and said, 'Alicia, you're going to have Crohn's for the rest of your life. Now's the time for you to decide'.. are you going to let Crohn's lead your life or are you going to be in charge?'
Her decision was plain and direct. She wasn't ever going to let Crohn's be in control. The disease was a terrible burden for her. She was often in pain and almost always in discomfort. Even her friends weren't fully aware of it. But, it rarely held her back. She loved the outdoors '.. back-country biking, camping, going out in the canoe with her Dad. Her fishing rod is still lying on the back dashboard of her car. In twenty years she lived life to the fullest. Last summer she traveled across country to Washington just so she could go to a String Cheese Incident concert. This past August Alicia and her friends went to see Phish in Vermont but were turned away with thousands of others after being stopped in a massive traffic jam for 36 hours ...just a few miles short of the venue. It was just another adventure for Alicia. She was excited to give mom and dad a jar of fresh Vermont maple syrup.
She was a wonderful daughter. She had a great relationship with us. When we would get into a typical parent teenager conflict I would turn to her and say.. 'When you grow up and have children I hope they are just like you.'
I would sometimes say to Marsha, 'Now I understand why animals eat their young.'
Over the last year or so Marsha and I began to realize that Alicia was one of those rare people who 'got it'. She was beginning to understand that she had been put on Earth to serve - that the whole idea of life - was to serve by helping others. The Saturday before last, we spent most of that day and late into that night with Michael and Alicia up in Athens. I was setting up her computer and as the night went on, I remember wanting to tell her that we were so proud of her - because we saw that she was beginning to 'get it'. She was just too tired to talk anymore and she fell asleep. I wish I could have told her. But, you know what? I think she already knew.
Our sweet, loving Alicia is in Heaven. She's been in Heaven since Friday when she was first pulled into the turbulent waters of the Oconee River. And so, now it's all OK. We don't want her gone but if she can't be with us 'then Heaven's the place.
We know she's safe and we know she's happy. One of our happiest thoughts is that she finally gets to meet her two grandfathers and her Uncle Warren. We're certain that she has all three of them laughing. When she was five, Michael and Warren helped her learn how to recite the Rosary. Alicia's 'Hail Mary Full of Grease' was slightly different than the official Catholic version.
We will never blame Jeff, Franco, Caroline or Matt... for her death. It wasn't their fault. We will never, ever blame them for what happened. Just think how terrible it would be to have five funerals this week. It was by God's Grace that they are alive.
One day, down the road, Marsha and I will be long gone and we'll be with our sweet Alicia once again. But the kids who were on that raft will still remember this tragedy. What they need to remember is, that, it was an accident. Just an accident.
And so, it's OK for us to be sad - and it's alright for us to cry.
This morning on our deck
as those angels floated back towards heaven
one looked at us with a grin
and said
Alicia sure has us laughing.
May God bless all of you for helping my family.
Left to cherish her beautiful memories are her parents, Dr. Albert A. and Mrs. Marsha Stramiello of Macon; two brothers, Warren (Katie) Anthony Stramiello of Pasadena, CA and Michael Stramiello of Athens. She was preceded in death by her grandfathers Albert Stramiello and George Wurst and maternal uncle Warren Wurst; and followed in death by her paternal grandmother, Anne Stramiello of White Oak, PA and her maternal grandmother, Shirley Wurst of Bethel Park, PA.
Alicia was born into this world in Pittsburgh, PA and lived in Macon most of her life. She was a graduate of Mt. De Sales Academy, had attended Mercer University and was a student at the University of Georgia, a junior majoring in Speech Communications Science and Disorders. Alicia was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church.
Alicia had been missing since Friday when the rubber raft she was on got caught in some debris and tipped into the river. She had been rafting with four other UGA students. She disappeared under the rapids around 7pm on Friday and was discovered around 5pm on Sunday.
Alicia was admired and loved by all who knew her and will be deeply missed.
Her love of family, friends and pink roses will always be fondly remembered. She was a very talented jewelry maker as well, leaving many beautiful pieces to be remembered by.
Her beautiful eulogy given by her father:
She was born in Pennsylvania and lived there for a year before moving with her family to Macon. She might have been born a Yankee, but she sure did enjoy being a Southerner. If only I could have gotten her to eat Barbeque with me. Just two weeks ago Alicia was able to go to her first UGA football game as an, official Georgia Bulldog.
Michael and Warren meant the world to Alicia. She adored them. She would do anything in the world for them. Michael was a great 'Big Brother' at college. She could really drive him crazy, and poor Michael just kept coming back for more. Warren was always talking with her from California. Alicia couldn't wait for Warren to become a successful lawyer ... so he could buy her that car that she claimed he had always promised her. Warren's illness was such a moving experience for Alicia. She would paint pictures for him and make such beautiful cards. She learned to express her sorrow through creativity.
Alicia was in a constant struggle with Crohn's Disease. We remember the suffering that Alicia went through when she was first diagnosed with Crohn?s. As she was laying in her hospital bed being consoled by her doctor, he held her hand and said, 'Alicia, you're going to have Crohn's for the rest of your life. Now's the time for you to decide'.. are you going to let Crohn's lead your life or are you going to be in charge?'
Her decision was plain and direct. She wasn't ever going to let Crohn's be in control. The disease was a terrible burden for her. She was often in pain and almost always in discomfort. Even her friends weren't fully aware of it. But, it rarely held her back. She loved the outdoors '.. back-country biking, camping, going out in the canoe with her Dad. Her fishing rod is still lying on the back dashboard of her car. In twenty years she lived life to the fullest. Last summer she traveled across country to Washington just so she could go to a String Cheese Incident concert. This past August Alicia and her friends went to see Phish in Vermont but were turned away with thousands of others after being stopped in a massive traffic jam for 36 hours ...just a few miles short of the venue. It was just another adventure for Alicia. She was excited to give mom and dad a jar of fresh Vermont maple syrup.
She was a wonderful daughter. She had a great relationship with us. When we would get into a typical parent teenager conflict I would turn to her and say.. 'When you grow up and have children I hope they are just like you.'
I would sometimes say to Marsha, 'Now I understand why animals eat their young.'
Over the last year or so Marsha and I began to realize that Alicia was one of those rare people who 'got it'. She was beginning to understand that she had been put on Earth to serve - that the whole idea of life - was to serve by helping others. The Saturday before last, we spent most of that day and late into that night with Michael and Alicia up in Athens. I was setting up her computer and as the night went on, I remember wanting to tell her that we were so proud of her - because we saw that she was beginning to 'get it'. She was just too tired to talk anymore and she fell asleep. I wish I could have told her. But, you know what? I think she already knew.
Our sweet, loving Alicia is in Heaven. She's been in Heaven since Friday when she was first pulled into the turbulent waters of the Oconee River. And so, now it's all OK. We don't want her gone but if she can't be with us 'then Heaven's the place.
We know she's safe and we know she's happy. One of our happiest thoughts is that she finally gets to meet her two grandfathers and her Uncle Warren. We're certain that she has all three of them laughing. When she was five, Michael and Warren helped her learn how to recite the Rosary. Alicia's 'Hail Mary Full of Grease' was slightly different than the official Catholic version.
We will never blame Jeff, Franco, Caroline or Matt... for her death. It wasn't their fault. We will never, ever blame them for what happened. Just think how terrible it would be to have five funerals this week. It was by God's Grace that they are alive.
One day, down the road, Marsha and I will be long gone and we'll be with our sweet Alicia once again. But the kids who were on that raft will still remember this tragedy. What they need to remember is, that, it was an accident. Just an accident.
And so, it's OK for us to be sad - and it's alright for us to cry.
This morning on our deck
as those angels floated back towards heaven
one looked at us with a grin
and said
Alicia sure has us laughing.
May God bless all of you for helping my family.
Left to cherish her beautiful memories are her parents, Dr. Albert A. and Mrs. Marsha Stramiello of Macon; two brothers, Warren (Katie) Anthony Stramiello of Pasadena, CA and Michael Stramiello of Athens. She was preceded in death by her grandfathers Albert Stramiello and George Wurst and maternal uncle Warren Wurst; and followed in death by her paternal grandmother, Anne Stramiello of White Oak, PA and her maternal grandmother, Shirley Wurst of Bethel Park, PA.
Alicia was born into this world in Pittsburgh, PA and lived in Macon most of her life. She was a graduate of Mt. De Sales Academy, had attended Mercer University and was a student at the University of Georgia, a junior majoring in Speech Communications Science and Disorders. Alicia was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church.
Alicia had been missing since Friday when the rubber raft she was on got caught in some debris and tipped into the river. She had been rafting with four other UGA students. She disappeared under the rapids around 7pm on Friday and was discovered around 5pm on Sunday.
Alicia was admired and loved by all who knew her and will be deeply missed.
Her love of family, friends and pink roses will always be fondly remembered. She was a very talented jewelry maker as well, leaving many beautiful pieces to be remembered by.
Alicia Anne Stramiello, 20, was called to return home to heaven on Friday.
Her beautiful eulogy given by her father:
She was born in Pennsylvania and lived there for a year before moving with her family to Macon. She might have been born a Yankee, but she sure did enjoy being a Southerner. If only I could have gotten her to eat Barbeque with me. Just two weeks ago Alicia was able to go to her first UGA football game as an, official Georgia Bulldog.
Michael and Warren meant the world to Alicia. She adored them. She would do anything in the world for them. Michael was a great 'Big Brother' at college. She could really drive him crazy, and poor Michael just kept coming back for more. Warren was always talking with her from California. Alicia couldn't wait for Warren to become a successful lawyer ... so he could buy her that car that she claimed he had always promised her. Warren's illness was such a moving experience for Alicia. She would paint pictures for him and make such beautiful cards. She learned to express her sorrow through creativity.
Alicia was in a constant struggle with Crohn's Disease. We remember the suffering that Alicia went through when she was first diagnosed with Crohn?s. As she was laying in her hospital bed being consoled by her doctor, he held her hand and said, 'Alicia, you're going to have Crohn's for the rest of your life. Now's the time for you to decide'.. are you going to let Crohn's lead your life or are you going to be in charge?'
Her decision was plain and direct. She wasn't ever going to let Crohn's be in control. The disease was a terrible burden for her. She was often in pain and almost always in discomfort. Even her friends weren't fully aware of it. But, it rarely held her back. She loved the outdoors '.. back-country biking, camping, going out in the canoe with her Dad. Her fishing rod is still lying on the back dashboard of her car. In twenty years she lived life to the fullest. Last summer she traveled across country to Washington just so she could go to a String Cheese Incident concert. This past August Alicia and her friends went to see Phish in Vermont but were turned away with thousands of others after being stopped in a massive traffic jam for 36 hours ...just a few miles short of the venue. It was just another adventure for Alicia. She was excited to give mom and dad a jar of fresh Vermont maple syrup.
She was a wonderful daughter. She had a great relationship with us. When we would get into a typical parent teenager conflict I would turn to her and say.. 'When you grow up and have children I hope they are just like you.'
I would sometimes say to Marsha, 'Now I understand why animals eat their young.'
Over the last year or so Marsha and I began to realize that Alicia was one of those rare people who 'got it'. She was beginning to understand that she had been put on Earth to serve - that the whole idea of life - was to serve by helping others. The Saturday before last, we spent most of that day and late into that night with Michael and Alicia up in Athens. I was setting up her computer and as the night went on, I remember wanting to tell her that we were so proud of her - because we saw that she was beginning to 'get it'. She was just too tired to talk anymore and she fell asleep. I wish I could have told her. But, you know what? I think she already knew.
Our sweet, loving Alicia is in Heaven. She's been in Heaven since Friday when she was first pulled into the turbulent waters of the Oconee River. And so, now it's all OK. We don't want her gone but if she can't be with us 'then Heaven's the place.
We know she's safe and we know she's happy. One of our happiest thoughts is that she finally gets to meet her two grandfathers and her Uncle Warren. We're certain that she has all three of them laughing. When she was five, Michael and Warren helped her learn how to recite the Rosary. Alicia's 'Hail Mary Full of Grease' was slightly different than the official Catholic version.
We will never blame Jeff, Franco, Caroline or Matt... for her death. It wasn't their fault. We will never, ever blame them for what happened. Just think how terrible it would be to have five funerals this week. It was by God's Grace that they are alive.
One day, down the road, Marsha and I will be long gone and we'll be with our sweet Alicia once again. But the kids who were on that raft will still remember this tragedy. What they need to remember is, that, it was an accident. Just an accident.
And so, it's OK for us to be sad - and it's alright for us to cry.
This morning on our deck
as those angels floated back towards heaven
one looked at us with a grin
and said
Alicia sure has us laughing.
May God bless all of you for helping my family.
Left to cherish her beautiful memories are her parents, Dr. Albert A. and Mrs. Marsha Stramiello of Macon; two brothers, Warren (Katie) Anthony Stramiello of Pasadena, CA and Michael Stramiello of Athens. She was preceded in death by her grandfathers Albert Stramiello and George Wurst and maternal uncle Warren Wurst; and followed in death by her paternal grandmother, Anne Stramiello of White Oak, PA and her maternal grandmother, Shirley Wurst of Bethel Park, PA.
Alicia was born into this world in Pittsburgh, PA and lived in Macon most of her life. She was a graduate of Mt. De Sales Academy, had attended Mercer University and was a student at the University of Georgia, a junior majoring in Speech Communications Science and Disorders. Alicia was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church.
Alicia had been missing since Friday when the rubber raft she was on got caught in some debris and tipped into the river. She had been rafting with four other UGA students. She disappeared under the rapids around 7pm on Friday and was discovered around 5pm on Sunday.
Alicia was admired and loved by all who knew her and will be deeply missed.
Her love of family, friends and pink roses will always be fondly remembered. She was a very talented jewelry maker as well, leaving many beautiful pieces to be remembered by.
Her beautiful eulogy given by her father:
She was born in Pennsylvania and lived there for a year before moving with her family to Macon. She might have been born a Yankee, but she sure did enjoy being a Southerner. If only I could have gotten her to eat Barbeque with me. Just two weeks ago Alicia was able to go to her first UGA football game as an, official Georgia Bulldog.
Michael and Warren meant the world to Alicia. She adored them. She would do anything in the world for them. Michael was a great 'Big Brother' at college. She could really drive him crazy, and poor Michael just kept coming back for more. Warren was always talking with her from California. Alicia couldn't wait for Warren to become a successful lawyer ... so he could buy her that car that she claimed he had always promised her. Warren's illness was such a moving experience for Alicia. She would paint pictures for him and make such beautiful cards. She learned to express her sorrow through creativity.
Alicia was in a constant struggle with Crohn's Disease. We remember the suffering that Alicia went through when she was first diagnosed with Crohn?s. As she was laying in her hospital bed being consoled by her doctor, he held her hand and said, 'Alicia, you're going to have Crohn's for the rest of your life. Now's the time for you to decide'.. are you going to let Crohn's lead your life or are you going to be in charge?'
Her decision was plain and direct. She wasn't ever going to let Crohn's be in control. The disease was a terrible burden for her. She was often in pain and almost always in discomfort. Even her friends weren't fully aware of it. But, it rarely held her back. She loved the outdoors '.. back-country biking, camping, going out in the canoe with her Dad. Her fishing rod is still lying on the back dashboard of her car. In twenty years she lived life to the fullest. Last summer she traveled across country to Washington just so she could go to a String Cheese Incident concert. This past August Alicia and her friends went to see Phish in Vermont but were turned away with thousands of others after being stopped in a massive traffic jam for 36 hours ...just a few miles short of the venue. It was just another adventure for Alicia. She was excited to give mom and dad a jar of fresh Vermont maple syrup.
She was a wonderful daughter. She had a great relationship with us. When we would get into a typical parent teenager conflict I would turn to her and say.. 'When you grow up and have children I hope they are just like you.'
I would sometimes say to Marsha, 'Now I understand why animals eat their young.'
Over the last year or so Marsha and I began to realize that Alicia was one of those rare people who 'got it'. She was beginning to understand that she had been put on Earth to serve - that the whole idea of life - was to serve by helping others. The Saturday before last, we spent most of that day and late into that night with Michael and Alicia up in Athens. I was setting up her computer and as the night went on, I remember wanting to tell her that we were so proud of her - because we saw that she was beginning to 'get it'. She was just too tired to talk anymore and she fell asleep. I wish I could have told her. But, you know what? I think she already knew.
Our sweet, loving Alicia is in Heaven. She's been in Heaven since Friday when she was first pulled into the turbulent waters of the Oconee River. And so, now it's all OK. We don't want her gone but if she can't be with us 'then Heaven's the place.
We know she's safe and we know she's happy. One of our happiest thoughts is that she finally gets to meet her two grandfathers and her Uncle Warren. We're certain that she has all three of them laughing. When she was five, Michael and Warren helped her learn how to recite the Rosary. Alicia's 'Hail Mary Full of Grease' was slightly different than the official Catholic version.
We will never blame Jeff, Franco, Caroline or Matt... for her death. It wasn't their fault. We will never, ever blame them for what happened. Just think how terrible it would be to have five funerals this week. It was by God's Grace that they are alive.
One day, down the road, Marsha and I will be long gone and we'll be with our sweet Alicia once again. But the kids who were on that raft will still remember this tragedy. What they need to remember is, that, it was an accident. Just an accident.
And so, it's OK for us to be sad - and it's alright for us to cry.
This morning on our deck
as those angels floated back towards heaven
one looked at us with a grin
and said
Alicia sure has us laughing.
May God bless all of you for helping my family.
Left to cherish her beautiful memories are her parents, Dr. Albert A. and Mrs. Marsha Stramiello of Macon; two brothers, Warren (Katie) Anthony Stramiello of Pasadena, CA and Michael Stramiello of Athens. She was preceded in death by her grandfathers Albert Stramiello and George Wurst and maternal uncle Warren Wurst; and followed in death by her paternal grandmother, Anne Stramiello of White Oak, PA and her maternal grandmother, Shirley Wurst of Bethel Park, PA.
Alicia was born into this world in Pittsburgh, PA and lived in Macon most of her life. She was a graduate of Mt. De Sales Academy, had attended Mercer University and was a student at the University of Georgia, a junior majoring in Speech Communications Science and Disorders. Alicia was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church.
Alicia had been missing since Friday when the rubber raft she was on got caught in some debris and tipped into the river. She had been rafting with four other UGA students. She disappeared under the rapids around 7pm on Friday and was discovered around 5pm on Sunday.
Alicia was admired and loved by all who knew her and will be deeply missed.
Her love of family, friends and pink roses will always be fondly remembered. She was a very talented jewelry maker as well, leaving many beautiful pieces to be remembered by.
