‘Inseparable:’ Family remembers mother-daughter pair that died in Vermont plane crash

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (WTNH) — The Van Ness family said they are devastated after the loss of two family members, Susan and Delilah, in a Vermont plane crash on Sunday.

They said Susan and Delilah were inseparable and shared a bond every mother and grandmother dream of; Susan’s mother and Delilah’s grandmother said she was with them both the day before the unimaginable.

In tears, she said she is glad they shared their final moments together.

She said her daughter Susan was a single mother and a hard worker and her only grandchild, 15-year-old Delilah, was brilliant, loved robotics, aviation and going to the library.

The video below aired on Sept. 9.

“Young people who love to learn and love to read is just why we’re here and to have a loss of one of them who was here so often and so dear to us is a truly terrible thing,” Russell Library’s Head of Youth and Family Learning Amy Slowik said.

A vigil will be held at Russell Library Tuesday at noon to celebrate a life cut short.

“I can’t imagine a better tribute to a library and the community than to have a vigil for someone like her held here and that she felt comfortable and that it was what her family thought of after her passing just meant so much to us,” Slowik said.

Middletown High School, where Delilah was a sophomore student, will be closed tomorrow. Also aboard the plane was Paul Pelletier, who taught aerospace and manufacturing at the school.

The Van Ness family said Susan was an active volunteer and chief of programs for the National Diaper Bank.

They also said the fourth victim, 88-year-old Frank Rodriquez, was a World War II Veteran and flew planes.

“In addition to the roles of the school, this is a far reaching impact on the community,” Middletown Mayor Ben Florsheim said.

The vigil and celebration of life will be held at Russell Library on Broad Street at 12 p.m. on Tuesday.

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