'We're going to miss her like crazy. It puts everything into perspective.'

Lodi High junior Colton Fountain said that he will have a hard time attending his art class and not seeing fellow junior Stephanie Jones sitting at a desk in the front row, always focused on what she was doing.

He attended the Apple Academy with Jones, who died as a result of a vehicle accident last weekend.

Academy students spend four of their six periods with one another each day as they prepare for careers in education.

"Apple is really like a family," Fountain said. "(Jones) was here every day. When you're in an academy, it hits you even more.

"Something happens to one of us, it affects all of us. We're going to miss her like crazy. It puts everything into perspective."

Co-adviser Tammy Boschee said it wasn't the first time the close-knit group of students suffered a loss.

Jaclyn Terry, who was killed in a vehicle accident on Highway 88 in 2005, was a sixth-period tutor in the Apple Academy, and many students knew a former student killed in an accident in San Jose at the beginning of the school year, according to Boschee.

When asked what he was going to miss most about Jones, Junior Cody Delemos had one word: "Everything."

"She's just sweet-hearted, an amazing girl who loves to be a kid," Delemos said.

He dated Jones, who loved all sorts of music, from acoustic to rock, and loved to be outside doing anything active.

She also loved macaroni and cheese, nachos and orange Kool-Aid, friends said. And her favorite color? Apparently she had six.

"I wasn't extremely close to her, but I know she was the happiest person in the world. Nothing got her down," Fountain said.

Jones, who planned to California State University, San Diego, was also a member of the varsity cheer squad with senior Marissa Casillas, who has decided to donate funds from her senior project to Jones' family (see above box).

"I remember her being really quiet at first," Casillas said, adding that she got to know Jones better when they shared a room at cheer camp.

"I was really close to her. I really cared about her."

Jones and her family, who lost another child to leukemia, moved to Lodi from Cameron Park in the summer of 2007, but Fountain said Jones was quick to make friends.

In the end, he was really surprised by the number of people Jones' accident affected and the proof in how many turned out at the campus support center Thursday and the prayer vigil Friday morning, but Delemos hoped it all shed some light on that fact that no one is invincible.

"This shows you that you never know what's going to happen. She was just with friends, hanging out ... "

Contact reporter Jennifer Bonnett at jenniferb@lodinews.com.

Reader Feedback

shockedinlodi wrote on Mar 11, 2009 9:57 AM:

" I also want to add my neighbor, who did not know who I was until last night, ran into the same issues with Odie Douglas. She and her husband were also in a meeting with him and he told her that he did not have to follow board policy. It wasn't just him in this meeting but 2 other Admins who did not correct the statement. They also lied about what had happened and when the parents had enough lies and rude behavior they walked out. The parents now know that the group was not there to discuss anything, they wanted the parents to shut up. This was a mother that was actually concerned about her child. What happened when her and her husband left the room? Odie Douglas and his 2 other admins laughed at the parents. When the parents emailed the admins to ask why they lied one of them emailed back they were mistaken. This mother has the emails to prove all of this. She has records that could prove many things about LUSD. They even tried to threaten her that her child would not pass. I see Katie had the same issues. "

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edelemos wrote on Mar 9, 2009 2:06 PM:

" I am Cody Delemos' mom and he dated her...she was an absolute doll and will truly be missed by everyone....my heart goes out to the parents, friends and students. "

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SJUNE74 wrote on Mar 8, 2009 1:24 PM:

" My prayer goes to Jones Family. yes LHS needs to share their Grief & Heal.
Every year someone dies needlessly.
Acidents can be prevented. If risks are reduced. "

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intrinsicly_valued wrote on Mar 7, 2009 4:26 AM:

" Correction: 'Stephanie's death will not be in vain.'

Stay strong, Lodi. "

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intrinsicly_valued wrote on Mar 7, 2009 4:25 AM:

" A 2008 graduate of Tokay High School, I did not know Stephanie Jones very well at all. But two months ago, I lost my good friend Xavier Gomez to a car accident. He was only 19, a CSU Northridge freshman like me, and I got to have some time with him. His death was a very hard blow on the local deaf community at CSUN. It's not the same without him. It really is depressing when good people have to die young, and it is times like those when I wonder why. But I have to say that life is fragile. It's downright scary how someone can be just... gone like that, very quickly. Bam. No way of rewinding back, no way of taking it back. Stephanie's death will not be vain. Simply remind yourselves to make the best of choices and enjoy the most out of your lives. Make the best of the short time we all have on Earth. The Jones family is in my thoughts and prayers. Now is the time not to criticize or judge, but to pull together as a community, to support each other, and pull out of this all the stronger for it. "

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