Merry Christmas!

We're taking this week off with highlight posts. Catch you next year!

In Memorium: Heather Gross

Heather Aron Gross

6/28/81 ~ 12/14/08

Heather was never meant to die of old age; instead she died causing international news. The inbounds avalanche at Snowbird, on December, 14th, ended her life at age 27. She was an avid Snowbird skier and would never want her death to stifle anyone's love for skiing or for the resort. Our daughter did a life's worth of living in her 27 years. Her candle burned brightly but not long enough. She needs the many people whom she has touched, to keep it burning. Her prayer for you would be to remember her goodness and zest for life and continue to share and spread it. Heather had a passion for adventure and learning. Travel was a part of who she was. She open mindedly accepted and befriended people from all over the world. She combined travel and learning with studies in Spain, China, Argentina, and more. She will be deeply missed by her parents, Dennis and Alyce Gross of Salt Lake City, and her sister, Emily Gross, of Ft. Collins, Colorado. Heather left a void that will be partially filled by hilarious memories. Anyone caring to memorialize Heather should make a donation to the Utah Food Bank in her name. As an infant she was baptized on August 23, 1981 into the Body of Christ and anointed with the Holy Spirit at Zion Lutheran Church, 1070 Foothill Dr., where the Celebration of her Life will be held on Saturday, December 20th at 3 p.m. Guests will be greeted as early as 2 p.m.

[via source]

Boasting Bengal: Emily Gledhill

Emily Gledhill, now Emily Watterson, studied Exercise and Sports Science at the University of Utah. After taking a break from 2002 to 2004 to serve an LDS mission in Guayaquil, Ecuador, she graduated from the U in 2007. Emily enjoys working as the Training Manager at Deseret First Credit Union, where we're sure she occasionally gets to use her Spanish skills and tell people to vuelva trabajar!

Emily married her husband, Jake, in 2006. Currently they don't have any children.

[Learn more about Emily's credit union (and maybe some solutions to your financial needs) here.]

Boasting Bengal: Heather Gross

Reisa (Hall) Faller used her Facebook account to post a memory of Heather. We decided to post it here as well as a tribute to Heather's legacy and her variety of interests in life.

Note from Reisa: This is from the Brighton Barb. I have the actual paper, but couldn't attach it. I kept it because I felt it was a great article. Heather had a great voice. This is what she wrote.....

"I am, you are, we, are the last graduating Bengals of the century. Is that what defines me? Am I just a Bengal? I hope not. I was a Bengal for three years. I have been a student for thirteen, and have been Heather Aron Gross for eighteen years. But, who am I?

Who are you? What defines you? Is it a stereotype? Don't let it be. Wake up in the morning and think, "What stereotypes am I going to break today?" or "Against what label should I rebel?" So, who are you?

Are you a car with a boyfriend and some clothes? Maybe you have a musical preference and a snowboard. I know; you are that girl who uses three bottles of hair spray every day and laughs like a horse. Just Kidding. I don't know her. I do know that people are too complicated to categorize. I'm a sister and a daughter, a friend and a mentor. I am an individual.

We aren't Generation X, nor Generation Next. We are a generation of individuals. How much have times changed? We assume a parent will love a child born retarded. Would you love a child born gay? Can you predict that reaction?

Don't limit yourself. Leave some space between college, your mission, maybe that bar you're going to own and operate, and your married life as a parent and an adult, for your dreams. Do what you love. I KNOW that Europe and running are in my future.

Find something you believe. Forget your inhibitions. I'm not saying, "Don't stop at any more red lights," but I bet you don't even know that some of those dreams exist because all you have ever let yourself be was a golfing basketball player with a turtle named Joe. So, who are you?

Perhaps you have been a runner your whole life. Don't forget to walk sometimes. Maybe you have been with someone so long that he or she has begun to define you. I thought I was my boyfriend's other half until I realized I couldn't breathe. Hey, maybe you HAVE found your soul mate. You can still dream. You can still be a Bengal. Just, be yourself for yourself, before you are defined by what you're not.

Y, para Ustedes que hablan Espanol, FELICITACIONES!
CONGRATULATIONS!

Don't forget, you will always be a BENGAL.

-Heather Aron Gross

Contribution Update for Heather Gross

New article in the Deseret News today about her life: read it here.

The article states that in lieu of flowers or money, the family has asked that donations be made to the Utah Food Bank. Even if you no longer live in Utah, the Food Bank has several online contribution options that you can read about on their website.

If you would like to send a note to Heather's parents, here is their address:
Dennis & Alyce Gross
2764 Coventry Ln
Salt Lake City, UT 84121-5216

Classmate Update: Heather Gross

Many of us recently learned that the effects of a avalanche at Snowbird ski resort claimed the life of our classmate, Heather Gross. She passed away yesterday afternoon, Sunday, December 14.

For more details you can visit a few news sites:
KUTV news
Deseret News
Salt Lake Tribune

We'll post information about the funeral and condolences as it is made available.

Boasting Bengal: Haleigh Gustaveson

Haleigh Gustaveson, now known as Haleigh Vance, studied Viola Performance at Indiana University. Since her graduation, she has remained loyal to the music profession. She is a certified Suzuki teacher and currently teaches 12 violin students. She also co-runs the Suitland Strings Youth Ensemble, a youth strings group (ages 4-16) that play all over the D.C. area, as well as partipates in two professional for-hire string quartets, The Briar Rose String Quartet and the Southern Maryland String Quartet, both of which service the greater Washington D.C. area. If that isn't enough, Haleigh is also the president of the Mormon Orchestra of Washington D.C., which mirrors the Orchestra at Temple Square in many ways and also plays all over the greater Washington D.C. area.

When Haleigh isn't focusing on music, she spends her time with her husband, Mike, whom she met at Indiana and is a professional saxaphone player. Married in 2000, Haleigh and Mike moved to Washington D.C. after Mike was accepted to the United States Army Pershing's Own Band. She also enjoys taking care of their four wonderful and active kids, Isaac (7), Hannah (5), Laura (4), and Stephen (18 months). (As an adventure story, Haleigh says that Laura was born in the front seat of the car on the way to the hospital, with Mike playing the role of the doctor, until the ambulance arrived!)

[View pictures and updates about Haleigh & Co. at her blog here.]