The tiny angels, stuffed animals, wooden crosses and other mementos that made up a makeshift memorial for 14-year-old Henry Waye have been returned, his father said.
Henry Waye Sr. said Tuesday that after a story appeared in The Bristol Press last week about the memorial’s disappearance, someone left the items at his house. He didn’t know who it was.
Now the grieving father wants his son’s friends to have those things back.
“It’s not my stuff to hold onto,” said Waye, who said he would welcome anyone who brought things to the memorial to come to his house to retrieve them.
“These are people who left something for my son,” Waye said. “It was theirs. They should have it back.”
After his son was killed by a hit and run driver on George Street a month ago, young mourners created a memorial on a fence at the Elk’s Club parking lot not far from the accident scene.
Teens made posters that included personal messages and photos of Henry and hung them on the fence. Visitors came to the memorial, signed the posters and left special items on and along the fence and the sidewalk.
When the memorial disappeared last week, Waye’s family asked that the items be returned. After the newspaper story ran, they were.
Waye said none of the posters were returned, but said he suspects they may have been ruined in the rain.
Since his son’s tragic death on March 5, there has been a steady stream of young visitors at his home, Waye said.
“My door’s been open to all his friends,” said Waye. “They cried on my shoulder. I cried on theirs.”
The community as a whole has been very supportive, Waye said.
Waye said he likes the idea that some of the city’s teens are pushing, to name the new skatepark at Rockwell Park after his son. But he said he knows it might not happen.
If there is a memorial to his son, said Waye, he’d like it to have enough room on it to include the names of any other children who may lose their lives in similar accidents.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
1 comment:
Isn't it interesting ?!?
In a nearby community a pedestrian was struck by a motor vehicle while walking in the street at night and the pedestrian was ticketed while the driver faces no charges or assaults from the media .
Post a Comment