(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A new school year is underway, and children at Forest Park's Garfield Elementary School are without someone who helped them start their day and stay safe: crossing guard Valerie Denise Sivels-Jones.
"We didn't know that she was sick, you know, it just kind of happened," said Jamie Stauder, Garfield Elemntary's principal.
Sivels-Jones — or "Miss Val," as she was known — died over the summer at the age of 60.
"The families in the area that crossed over there did a nice job of setting up a nice memorial for her," Stauder said.
A bench memorial of photos, pinwheels, flowers, flags, and heartfelt notes of remembrance for "Miss Val."
"She was one that just lit up when the students came by, and staff that parked that way … would visit with her," Stauder said. "She was always good about giving a hug and a word of encouragement for their day."
She was a reassuring smile in a sometimes difficult time for kids.
"A sweet person who was really there for the right reasons," Stauder said.
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