William Ivy Remembered: 'I Will Miss You Forever'

There were tears, laughter and emotions very close to the surface Friday as family, classmates, teammates and friends celebrated the life and mourned the death of William "Will" Ivy, a 16-year-old student and soccer player from Northwest High School.

Ivy died Monday, succumbing to injuries he received in a car crash March 15 in which his vehicle veered off the road on Hwy. B, near Cedar Hills Road, went airborne and slammed into a utility pole. The horrific crash and Ivy's untimely death brought a groundswell of support for the popular Northwest High School student who was a member of the junior varsity soccer team.

His classmates turned out in droves to pay their respects Friday at Chapel Hill Mortuary, 6300 Highway 30, Cedar Hill, many wearing a specially designed T-shirt that carried Will's jersey number (3) and his favorite soccer team (RealMadrid). A message on the shirt said "#3 on the field, #1 in our hearts."

It was close friend Isaiah Ray, a junior at Northwest, who came up with the idea to make the shirts. With some help, he designed them and coordinated the printing and distribution. The shirts are being sold for $15 with proceeds of the sales being donated to the Ivy family.

Ray said he intends to try out for the Northwest soccer team.

"I was going to join it this year," Ray said. "(Will) is the real reason why. He always thought about everyone else before himself."

There were a lot of memorial posters at the funeral home, as students shared their thoughts and their memories of a classmate they cherished.

Some excerpts:

"You couldn't have been a better friend of a better person."

"You were everything and now you are gone. I will miss you forever."

"You were a great soccer player and a great person."

The student's thoughts were comforting to Becky Ivy, who, with her husband Carl, greeted visitors for hours who had come to pay their respects to their son.

"He was just the happiest kid," Becky said.

Becky is heartened by the fact that many people will benefit from the organs that Will donated to those in needed them.

There was a steady flow of students at Chapel Hill, many disconsolate over the loss of a friend and classmate. Tears were shed, but they were punctuated by laughter as many shared stories about Will Ivy, their friend and classmate.

In one sense, Will will someday return to the playing fields at Northwest High School. Becky said she intends to spread his ashes around the soccer field, the scene of so much joy in her son's life.

"He just loved soccer," she said.

Previous stories:

Northwest Student's Death Draws Shockwave of Support From Classmates, Community

16-Year-Old High Ridge Male Goes Airborne in Car, Then Airlifted to Hospital