Madie Wilbanks, 18, Talented Photographer Was Accepted Into NYU

Photo credit: Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School

Editor’s note: the following obituary was submitted by H.M. Patterson & Son-Arlington Chapel:

On February 1, 2015, only two months after her eighteenth birthday, we lost an angel. To begin to understand the magnitude of our loss, it is necessary to reflect on how deeply Madie touched all of the lives that she came into contact with.

Her relationship with her parents was powerful. She was her father’s special treasure. Madie was the first thing he thought of when he woke up and the last thing he was thankful for each night in his prayers. Madie’s devotion to her mother was obvious to anyone who knew her. Much of Madie’s love for travel and her fearlessness are traits she received from her mother.

Madie’s stepmother, sister and brother, are left with broken hearts because of the way she touched them separately in a precious and uniquely individual way. Her gentle nature, great sense of humor and ability to make each day a little brighter enriched her family’s life in a way that is too wonderful and complex to put into words.

Madie’s friends were never far away from her heart. She loved every second that she spent with her precious friends. She fancied herself a master problem-solver and she loved nothing more than being with her friends through the best of times and the hard times of life as well. They tell us that she brought joy, laughter, warmth and the type of love that Madie gave so freely in her own unique style.

Madie left this world to be with her Heavenly Father at the top of her game. She had never been happier or more fulfilled. She was lifted by her acceptance for admission to NYU where she was planning to fulfill her lifetime dream of attending NYU before commencing study abroad. Her love for people and travel has resulted in Madie having a wonderful circle of friends that extends far beyond Atlanta.

Some of her dearest relationships were made with other students last summer when she studied for a semester at the Oxbow School in Napa, California. Madie was an unbelievably creative and talented writer, photographer and journalist. She and her mother spent a part of last summer where she worked at CNN Chile. That adventure reinforced her desire to expand her future and dreams to include other cultures around the world.

Madie’s charm, beauty, courage and grace in times of adversity were traits that she exhibited every day. She battled with Type 1 diabetes since the age of five and she never once complained. She felt compassion and sympathy for the needy, the weak and society’s forgotten. Our loss of Madie is too immense for anyone to grasp at this time.

Here is what we know: Madie would want us to celebrate her life — and we will do that. We will stand on our strong faith and trust God to provide the light to lead us through the darkness that her entire family and group and friends are experiencing. We are all blessed that she was with us for these eighteen meaningful and memory-laden years. We know that Madie is in heaven and that she would ask us all to hold on to her memories with a smile and to hold on to each other tightly in this time of sorrow. We love you, Madie.

Memorial services celebrating her life will be held today, Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 1 p.m. at Northside United Methodist Church, 2799 Northside Drive, NW, Atlanta, GA 30305 with Reverend Dr. G. Gil Watson officiating.

Friends are cordially invited to visit with the family following the memorial at a reception at the Faith and Arts Center at NUMC. Prior to the memorial the family will have gathered at Arlington Memorial Park for a private interment.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Camp Kudzu, Inc., 5885 Glenridge Drive, Suite 160, Atlanta, GA 30328,www.campkudzu.org or Voice Today, 3855 Shallowford Road, Suite 110, Marietta, GA 30062, www.voicetoday.org.