The 22nd Annual Candlelight Vigil of Hope & Remembrance

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1 VOICE Where Caring Brings Remembrance and Hope The VOICE is a publication of the DUI Victim Center of Kansas at 355 North Waco, Suite 220 Wichita, KS Vol. 16, Issue 1 Special Edition 2012 The 22nd Annual Candlelight Vigil of Hope & Remembrance I still miss those I loved who are no longer with me but I find I am grateful for having loved them. The gratitude has finally conquered the loss. -- Rita Mae Brown

2 Voices of Victims The following was read by Bridget James, in remembrance of her father Kenneth Gilpin and her brother,patrick Gilpin. Dear Dad, It is hard to believe it has been 30 years since you've been gone. So much has changed. You have 10 grandkids and 1 great grandbaby. I remember when you took us to the Kismet Little World s Fair. I was running a race and tripped and fell. I stood up, looked back at you and you said, Get up and finish the race baby girl. I remember these words every time I fall down. I pick myself back up and work on finishing the race. Nickie, Tag, and I try our best to take care of each other. We miss you and love you every day. I love you dad. Dear Pat, You were supposed to have been with our dad the night of his accident, but he chose to leave you behind. I never would have thought that 27 years later I would lose you exactly the same way. The last 3 years I have missed you every day. I try to keep an eye on Elizabeth, your mom, and Jamie for you. I wish I could have one more time to go upstairs to wake you up jumping on your bed, and both of us to collapse laughing until we cry. But one more time would never be enough. I love you little brother. 2

3 Voices of Victims Readings in memory of Frank Baker were made by his widow, Debbie Baker and his daughter, Sheri Baker-Bruster Nichole Baker played Amazing Grace on the violin in remembrance of her father,william Baker If you would like to speak at the next Candlelight Vigil in rememberance of a loved one, please contact us at

4 We Remember Them Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality. ~Emily Dickinson He who has gone, so we but cherish his memory, abides with us, more potent, nay, more present than the living man. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery I have lived with you and loved you, and now you are gone. Gone where I cannot follow, until I have finished all of my days. ~Victoria Hanley It s time to live with what we have and mourn what we lost. ~Lev Grossman 4

5 We Remember Them Special Thanks to Our Volunteers from Vigil Sponsors Intrust Bank St. Mary Orthodox Christian Church Substance Abuse Center of Kansas Catered by 5

6 Never Forgotten... Dianna Adams Marilyn Arreola-Estrada Sheri & Frank Baker William Baker Kelly Beardslee Ernest & Marilyn Becker Vicki Brown Cory Burgell Adrian Crosby Michael Shane Dysinger Paige & Jared Estes Barbara Farha Ocean Gill Kenneth & Patrick Gilpin Dominique Green Alexis Gutierrez Gary Heath Lola Jayne Selma Baba Kallail David Kellogg Summer Langford Robbi Mandina Paul Martin Juan Martinez Larry Meierhoff Claudi & Gisle Mijares Pearlie Mitchell James Noone Jeremy Pawlak Rebecca Pykiet Amber Randolph Amanda Rice Sarah Scantlin Steve Sigle Scotty Stewart Kevin Williams 6

7 Our New Victim Advocate... Katie Barth I was born and raised here in Wichita, graduating from Maize High and Cowley County Community College with an emphasis in Social Services. I took a break from school to be a fully devoted wife to my wonderful husband, Clayton. We have been graced with two amazing kids, Kylee (6) and Austin (5). For over 7 years I have been substitute teaching in grades K-12. When my oldest child started school, I realized it would be a good time to go back to school to become a Kansas Court Approved Mediator where I completed my training in Core and Domestic Mediations. Since, I have been working with the Mediation Center of Wichita, Inc., volunteering in Sedgwick County s Small Claims Court. I am also a member of the PRIDE Committee at Peterson Elementary, providing opportunities for students to serve others and the community through valuable character building activities. I am grounded in my faith and thankful for this wonderful, yet sometimes difficult journey God has led us. During , I worked in a fast paced, highly respectable law firm. I assisted the attorneys in an array of areas, from the adoption department to the insurance department and everything in between. It was there where I became familiar with the ever challenging and complicated legal system, not only professionally but personally. On May 27th, 2003 we received the gut wrenching news that my one and only brother, Jarrett McLeskey(22), would not be surviving a DUI crash that had occurred just 4 days earlier. Shortly after trying to move forward with a hole in our hearts, we realized the offender and the complex court system would make moving forward much more difficult. Thankfully, in that time we were contacted by the DUI Victim Center of Kansas who offered our family the support we needed. DUI Victim Advocate Jim Pykiet became our guiding light and our compass through the emotionally exhausting 2 year court process. With every continuance, he was there to offer a word of hope and compassion that saw us through to the end. The end finally came when the driver was sentenced in March of We could finally start moving forward. After experiencing our loss, one of the biggest lessons I learned was that everyone loses and hurts at one time or another. Everyone has a story. With heart and determination my hope and goal is to help make stories caused by such a senseless act of DUI a little bit more bearable. By bridging the gap between humanity and the complicated legal process, perhaps other families may sense the hope that Jim had provided our family years earlier. 7

8 DUI Victim Center of Kansas 355 N. Waco, Suite 220 Wichita, KS Office (316) KS Helpline (800) Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 622 Wichita, KS V I G I L The Next Candlelight Vigil is scheduled for December 6, 2012 If you would like to remember someone at the next Candlelight Vigil, please contact us at the number below. If you wish to be removed from our mailing list or have a change of address, please call (316) or in Kansas (800)