Candlelight vigil for late K-M student Dorian Tursic draws 500

A frigid wind caused a multitude of candles to sputter out Wednesday night at French Field.

But the group that gathered at Kent-Meridian High School’s football stands just hunkered closer together, sharing flames from other, still-lit candles to ensure each of their comrades had a flame to call their own.

In a lot of ways, that spirit of compassion and unity mirrored the reason why roughly 500 people were at the field in the first place.

They were there to help each other bear witness to the passing of a much-loved K-M student.

He hadn’t been at K-M long, but it was obvious the late Dorian Tursic, 18, had become an integral part of the K-M family.

“Though Dorian may be gone, he’ll be forever in my heart. I love you, Dorian,” said a teenager to the group, one of many who got up and spoke at the student-organized candlelight vigil.

Tursic, a straight-A student and varsity basketball player, died early Sunday morning, when the 2004 Impala he was driving crashed into a tree in the 23800 block of 64th Avenue South in Kent. Three other K-M students in the car survived, although all were initially taken for treatment of the serious injuries they sustained in the crash. (See related story, page 6.)

Tursic, however, died at the scene.

At Wednesday’s vigil, it became obvious just how many lives the senior student had touched, in his first year at K-M, where he’d transferred from Tyee High School at SeaTac.

“None of us are going to forget what he did for us,” admonished another teen, one of Tursic’s many friends who got up to speak at the vigil, his voice breaking.

“All I knew was that he was an awesome friend. When you came to him with a problem, he was there,” another student shared with the group.

If there was a recurring theme in what speakers shared that night, it was that Tursic was that rare kind of person who could find something in common with nearly anyone. It didn’t matter if they were in the academic track, shooting hoops, or just happy to be making it through school somehow.

And boy, was the kid upbeat.

“There wasn’t one day Dorian was sad, and if he was, you didn’t know it,” another boy told the group, as candle flames continued to flicker. “He was a friend to everyone.”

He then sang a song to Dorian, accompanied by piped-in background music.

“All I hear are raindrops falling on the roof,” he sang, noting, “I’m officially missing you.”

And when his voice faltered as he choked back tears, two of his female friends, who had been standing with him, kept singing through additional stanzas of the song. Their voices, carried on the cold night air, generated warm applause from the audience.

Other students reminded the audience of what Dorian’s passing meant for their future.

“We need to take every day and tell the people you love, that you love them,” one teenage boy said. “You might not get a second chance. I just want to say, ‘I love you, Dorian.’”

A number of adults also spoke, including one man who noted that while he didn’t know Dorian, he knew the teen’s short life could serve as a wake-up call to others.

“Do not live your life saying ‘I coulda, woulda, shoulda,’” the man told the teens. “Live your life.”

Another adult, a woman referring to herself as Nani, who said she’d known Dorian since he was in second grade, reminded the teens they needed to be adamant about making good choices, and showing good judgement.

“Don’t make mistakes that are going to take you out,” she said. “All of us are going to deal with this for a very long time.”

K-M Principal Wade Barringer, who also spoke at Wednesday’s vigil, said Thursday the vigil was one of a number of ways K-M has been working to help students with their grief.

“Like all of the other events we’re doing for Dorian, the purpose was to honor him in all the different ways that his friends wanted to honor him,” Barringer said. “We’ve been very accepting of everything the kids want to do. Every little bit enables the kids to process this a little more.”

Other activities this week at K-M included a moment of silence Monday, putting Dorian’s picture on front page of the K-M Web site, sending a letter home to families, putting an announcement on the school reader board and letting students leave items in memory of Dorian near the school flag pole.

Memorial services for Tursic at Marlatt’s Funeral Home in Kent Thursday were standing room only, with attendees – the majority of them young people – flowing outside the building.

Barringer also said that while counselors were available, all of K-M’s staff were available to talk with students.

“Maybe you’re the one person that student has that connection with,” Barringer said, of what he told his staff. “We’re all in this together – for the kids.”