Just before sunset on September 4, 2022, during Labor Day Weekend, after a perfect day on the water, a vessel carrying 14 passengers, including two adults and 12 teenagers—our daughter Lucy among them—violently struck a navigation demarcation post. Our beloved daughter’s injuries from the accident were fatal, and Lucy passed away less than twelve hours later.

Much like her name, Lucy was a ray of light. Known for her wisdom, kindness, self-discipline, and witty sense of humor, she knew how to make everyone feel seen and important. She was a unifier, a loyal friend who brought people together.

Lucy grew up on boats and around the water. Like so many families raising children in the Keys, South Florida, and beyond, water is a way of life—a passion instilled in them since birth, just as it was for Lucy. Andy, a lifelong boater, and Meli, his savvy first mate, made sure Lucy learned everything she could about boating. As a little girl, they taught her proper boat etiquette, where to sit, the do’s and don’ts, and as she grew older, the importance of understanding the “rules of the road.” They enrolled her in a young anglers summer camp where she honed her recreational boating skills, which proved invaluable as she became more proficient each year. Above all, she learned to respect the potential dangers of the ocean and understood the responsibility that came with the privilege of handling a boat.