In memory of Wendy L. Throop Sunderlin


Sharon and Bill Throop

Wendy L. Throop Sunderlin: Born 6-18-77, Died 11-12-96, Cause of death Gunshot wound to the head, death immediate, why, we will probably never know. She was 19 , a sophomore at OWU and had her whole life ahead of her, along with helping ours. She graduated 13 in her class out of 222 students, was in Who's Who of American Students two years in a row, in the Nation Honor Society and had a huge scholarship and grant that she earned with her hard work over the years, was in cross country and track in high school and college, picked in the top of the Miss Grapette pagaent, was in Tri Delta sorority, worked two jobs last summer, and had many, many friends that loved her. There were buses in her funeral, they had never had that before. She is sadly missed by so many!!!!

She was suffering from major depression and even the experts did not see it...she was raped in her Freshman year at college and attempted suicide January, 1996...they pronounced her just overwhelmed and as long as she had support she would be fine....they were wrong!!! She put a good "Mary Sunshine" smile on and made it another 10 months until it must of been too painful...she drove home from school for 4 hours, came home when we were at work, put on a happy smile for her Grandmother her lives with us (she is extremely deaf and 86) and found my husband's rifle, learned how to load it and went to her room and died. I found her when I got home....We were best friends for so many years, from the moment that she was born, what do we do now?!

The Trumbull Township rescue squad wrote a poem for her and published it in their paper, it goes as follows and we like to think about this quite often....

In memory of Wendy L. Throop Sunderlin

Sharon & Bill Throop



You can send email to Sharon and Bill at: [email protected]
mail welcome



[return to home page] [column] [book excerpts] [honor page] [discussions page]

Crisis, Grief, and Healing: Tom Golden LCSW