May 12, 2006 – December 14, 2012

Emilie was a remarkable, precocious child who attempted to cheer people up and make them smile. She was very artistic and loved to draw, including designing cards for people. Her father, one of the first to talk about the tragedy said, “I’m so blessed to be her dad; the world is a better for having had Emilie in it.” He struggled with the difficult task of explaining her death to her sisters, aged three and four. It is not the way Emilie Parker died that will matter; it is the way she lived. She was only 61/2, but her father said she was an extraordinary force in the lives of loved ones. [1]

Madeline, Emilie and Samantha

Emilie, Madeline and Samantha

Alissa wrote, “I didn’t know how I was going to manage at Emilie’s wake. I hadn’t wanted to attend the public memorial that would be held the night before the funeral. Grieving in the public eye made me uncomfortable. When Robbie and I arrived at the funeral home that night, a line had already formed, wrapping around the building. People had come from all over Utah to pay their respects. The thought of greeting all of these people as I stood beside Emilie’s little white casket made me nauseous. I couldn’t bear to hear all the well-intentioned comments about Emilie. I dreaded even more the easily proffered ‘at least . . .’ statements:

‘At least it was fast.’

‘At least we know where she is.’

‘At least she is at peace.’

I knew exactly what people were going to say because I had stood in a line just like this only a few months earlier and heard these comments regarding my father’s death. This felt even worse, unbearable.”

“Overcome, I suddenly bolted from the chapel. In the rear of the building I ducked into a closet and closed the door. A few minutes later, Robbie found me in the fetal position on the floor, literally gasping for air. The moment he saw me, he knew I just wasn’t ready to talk to people about Emilie’s death. It was one of those moments when I needed my husband to be patient and empathetic. At the same time, he was hurting too. And he needed me by his side at the wake. We were both broken, but we had to stick together. Somehow, I had to get up and walk back in there with him.”

“He gave me time, and I reassured him that I would figure out a way to get through the wake. Sitting on the closet floor, I prayed: Please. Please get me through this. I don’t know what to say!” [2]

Mourners exit from Emilie’s funeral held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ogden, Utah on December 22, 2012, CNN.com The church is across the street from the high school where Robbie and Alissa first met.

🖥 Funeral for Sandy Hook Elementary shooting victim Emilie Parker

🖥 New London Playground Dedicated In Memory Of Emilie Parker

Alissa Parker speaks about Emilie during a dedication ceremony to Emilie’s Shady Spot playground at Riverside; 🖥 New London Playground Dedicated In Memory Of Emilie Parker

‘Evil Did Not Win’ At Sandy Hook: Video Celebrates Life of Emilie Parker, A 6-Year-Old Victim

[1] The Newtown Shooting Victims: Who They Were, https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/The-Newtown-Shooting-Victims-Who-They-Were-183658461.html; retrieved 12/13/2017

[2] Alissa Parker, An Unseen Angel, A Mother’s Story of Faith, Hope, and Healing After Sandy Hook, https://deseretbook.com/p/unseen-angel-mothers-story-of-faith-hope-and-healing-after-sandy-hook; retrieved 12/31/2017