In Memory of Katie - Jeremy Witchel

In Loving Memory of Katie

The following is the eulogy I wrote and read at Katie's funeral.

Hi, I'm Jeremy, Katie's fiancé. I'll be crying as I write this and as you read it, and I think Katie would want that. She would want us all to cry together, because we know she would be crying right along with us.

Not many people know the full story of how we started dating, so I want to share one of my favorite memories. It is the reason we had two anniversaries. The first time we expressed our feelings for each other was at a Halloween party in October of 2018. But it took me a little while to commit, and we didn't officially start dating until the following April.

At first, we used to debate which day was our "real" anniversary. Eventually, we turned that debate into one of our favorite traditions. I planned our anniversary date every year on October 20th, and she planned it on April 18th. It became something joyful and uniquely ours. This past October, for my turn, I asked our friend Abby, who also spoke at the service, to take professional photos of us. I hope you'll take a moment to look at them.

Exactly one month after Katie died, on October 29th, we were supposed to be on the trip of a lifetime to Japan. We had plans to visit Osaka, Kyoto, Hakone, and Tokyo. While we were in Kyoto, I was going to propose to her in the Kyoto Garden. Being the modern couple we were, she had also gotten me an engagement ring. I remember joking at our friends' wedding that weekend that it was probably still sitting in her Etsy cart. But she surprised me. She had already bought it and had it sent to Abby's house. I'm wearing it now.

There is one more thing I want to share. When Katie converted to Judaism, she had the rare opportunity to choose a name for herself and to define an identity. She chose the name Ayla, which means moonlight in Hebrew and oak tree in Turkish. That name, like everything Katie chose with intention, said so much about her. She was moonlight in an otherwise dark night and a sturdy oak when you needed her to be.

Sure, it may have taken her five to seven business days to reply to a text. But when you needed her, when I needed her, she was unwavering. She stood strong. She showed up.

In the darkness we face now, I hope you will look to the moon to help find your way. Let Katie, let Ayla, guide us through our grief. Let her love and her strength light our path forward.