CORINTH, Maine — Upon arriving at Central Middle School each morning, it was Katie Fugel’s habit to greet principal Jon Perry with a smile and a high-five.
Her exuberance will be greatly missed in and around the school and the community.
“She brought smiles to everyone’s face,” Perry said Friday in remembering the well-rounded sixth-grader.
The 12-year-old Fugel died Tuesday at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor after suffering a cardiac event on Monday afternoon and collapsing during a warmup run for track and field practice.
“That was the farthest thing from our mind, that we would lose her,” Perry said. “It’s an awful, awful thing.”
Fugel excelled at Central Middle School. She was a straight-A student who participated in cross country, cheerleading, chorus and track.
“She epitomized what a student-athlete is,” Perry said, “a very respectful, hardworking, considerate, kind, beautiful, talented young lady.”
Fugel’s family, friends, teachers and acquaintances are trying to cope with the grief from her unexpected passing. Mike Viani teaches seventh-grade social studies at the middle school and serves as its cross country coach and as the Central High School varsity track coach.
“She was competitive, yet humble,” Viani said of Fugel. “She had a personality that was infectious; her smile.”
Fugel was a close friend of the Vianis as she was a teammate of Mike’s two daughters.
“It’s been a tough couple of days,” Viani said. “Her and my daughter are in the same class. They were very good friends. They cheered together, they did track together, ran cross country.”
A wall in the school cafeteria is covered with a large sheet of paper that students are using as an “expressive wall” to share their thoughts and feelings about Fugel. Students were encouraged to draw, write or make cards as part of the grieving process.
“Writing and expressing yourself during a sorrowful time, that’s therapy,” said Perry, who praised the Central Middle School faculty and staff for their commitment to supporting and comforting the students, and each other, in dealing with their grief.
Counselors from three area schools spent Wednesday at the middle school to help provide support for those who needed it.
Central canceled its participation in a middle school track meet and all other extracurricular activities after learning of Fugel’s death on Tuesday. Track coach Chris Cook made practice optional for the rest of the week, but Perry said there has been nearly 100 percent participation since Wednesday.
“They processed her loss and did some games, shed some tears on Wednesday, but they’ve gotten back at it,” Perry said.
In addressing his high school track team, Viani conveyed the importance of celebrating Fugel’s life and accomplishments.
“I told the kids, we can’t think about what she could have been. We can only cherish what we know she was, which was a great kid, a good runner and a big part of our track family,” Viani said.
Plans are in the works to honor Fugel’s memory. Purple bracelets with “Katie” and a heart on them are being made for all of the competitors in the Eastern Maine Middle School Track League’s Almquist Invitational Meet on May 23 in Orono.
Purple was Fugel’s favorite color.
One Central Middle School parent has purchased 100 pairs of purple socks to be worn by members of the track, baseball and softball teams. And Viani explained that purple warmups for the track athletes also are in the works.
Many flowers have been delivered to the school and the Charleston Pentecostal Church on Friday provided the school staff doughnuts and coffee. Viani said a local florist plans to donate purple corsages and boutonnieres for the upcoming year-end dance.
Visiting hours for Fugel will be held 3-5 p.m. Sunday at Brooking-Smith, 133 Center St., Bangor. A funeral Mass is planned at 2 p.m. Monday at St. Paul the Apostle Parish, St. John’s Catholic Church, 207 York St., Bangor.
Those who want to remember Katie in a special way may make gifts in her memory to a scholarship fund for Faith Fugel through Bangor Savings Bank, Attn: Barbara Whitney, 22 Main St., Dexter, ME 04930.
Perry said Fugel’s death has left a discernible void at Central Middle School.
“You have to find solace that the good Lord has a better plan for her, but we lost an angel.”