This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Christy Barnard was the kind of teacher everyone loved.
She taught most of her career at Northridge High School in Layton and spent the last few years at Syracuse High School. She had a passion for accounting, and worked hard to ensure her students understood concepts she taught.
Then she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and students and friends rallied around her.
One student started a Facebook page, "Mrs. Barnard Will Make It."
"This page is for Mrs. Barnard, as you all know she has Cancer, they say she will not make it, but I and others think she will. If you think she will, like this page," it states on the page, found at http://on.fb.me/gqlkGa.
More than 400 signed on to "like" the page, and more than that contributed to fundraisers and assemblies held by students at Syracuse High School to help the Barnard family defray costs of fighting the aggressive cancer.
Despite the efforts and optimism, and Barnard's desire to live to see her children become adults, she passed away Dec. 24.
But the Facebook page lives on, and people still post messages to it, keeping alive the memory of Barnard.
Her online memoriam and profile represent a growing trend in which Facebook pages continue after their owners have died. It is a way for people to connect with others who are grieving, share memories, and remember a person who had a positive impact on many lives.
Julie Hawkes, of Brigham City, died Nov. 19, and the anniversary of her birthday was Feb. 22. There are numerous posts and birthday wishes on her Facebook page, along with proclamations of love and how much she is missed. Many of those are from her children and closest friends. The page is found at http://on.fb.me/gKGwPV.
The Internet has created a place where people can almost be immortalized. Barnard's school Website page is still active, and at the top is one of her favorite quotes.
"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you'll land among the stars."
Christy Barnard Facebook pages
on.fb.me/gqlkGa
on.fb.me/dINfnT —
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