Hello, my name if Paul Sellers. I had the privilege of working with Felicia last year when she was in 6th grade. I feel honored to have been asked by the Rupps to speak here this evening on behalf of such a fine person as Felicia.
It is with mixed emotions that I am here before you this evening. I am saddened by her loss, as we all are, but more importantly, I am happy that I got to know her and that she became a part of my life, even for only one school year. I am also happy that she is in the hands of the Lord, where as human hands could not cure, the Lord's [hands] can.
Felicia once wrote in a writing entitled "About Me" that she liked to travel to Florida, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Washington, DC. I myself like to travel and we had that in common. She wrote about her family, her pets, friends, hobbies, and sports. The last sentence stated, and I quote, "Felicia has done a lot in her 12 years of life." I would have to agree with her.
I think I could sum it up best by saying Felicia enjoyed life itself. I'm not real creative, but I would like to share a name poem about Felicia:
F The "F" in Felicia would be for "Fun to Teach and to be Around"--Those who knew her well knew that she really had a sense of humor.
E The "E" in Felicia would be for "Energetic"--She enjoyed softball, volleyball and basketball ... need I say more?
L The "L" in Felicia would be for "Likable"--Every one of her last year's students came back this year to make a short video tape to cheer Felicia up while she was in the hospital. They also made cards and asked about her often.
I The "I" in Felicia would be for "Independent"--She was her own person. She really did what she felt was right, even if it was unpopular with her classmates. This is a quality not often found in a middle school-aged child.
C The "C" in Felicia would be for "Courage"--Last year one of the students was sharing a book report to the class about a girl that had cancer and Felicia quickly shared her experiences with her bouts with cancer with her classmates. She even brought a photo of her when she had the chemotherapy hairdo. This exemplifies her courage.
I The "I" in Felicia would be for "Interesting"--With as many brothers, sisters, and pets as can be found in the Rupp family, Felicia always had an interesting story to share.
A The "A" in Felicia would be for "Always"--I will always have a special place in my heart for Felicia.
May you rest in peace in the name of the Lord, Felicia.