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Workers put together the gallery of Kyra Willner’s photos on Jan. 28. The gallery of her photos opens Jan. 30.  

Memorial service to remember Ohio University visual communication student Kyra Willner slated for this Saturday

Kyra Willner’s parents plan to set up the Kyra Kurt Willner Global Travel Scholarship.

Friends, classmates and professors will have a way to honor the memory of Ohio University student Kyra Willner this weekend.

Willner, who was a senior studying commercial photography in the School of Visual Communication, died Dec. 15 in a car crash while traveling in New Mexico. She was 21.

Her friends, Paige Walters, a graduate student at OU, and Ally Valeda-Maiden, an undecided sophomore, were also in the car and survived the crash.

A memorial service will be held at Hillel, 21 Mill St., at 1 p.m. Saturday.

“That’s going to be a celebration of life,” Emily Harger, Willner’s friend, roommate and senior studying visual communication, said.

Harger is a former Post photo editor.

Harger said the memorial at Hillel will host speakers including professors and friends of Willner. Anyone who wants to speak is welcome.

“There will be a time designated for anybody who wants to share a memory,” Harger said, “kind of like an open mic.”

Lauren Goldberg, assistant director at Hillel, also said the memorial will be a celebration of life.

“People from all different areas of (Willner’s) life who loved her will be sharing stories and reflecting on how remarkable she was,” Goldberg said. “We will be lighting candles and coming together to share memories.”

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Willner worked as a teaching assistant for the Athens Photographic Project, a nonprofit that offers artistic instruction to people living with mental illnesses, according to a previous Post report. She also worked at Bagel Street Deli on Court Street, which will be catering the services Saturday.

Willner’s parents plan to set up the Kyra Kurt Willner Global Travel Scholarship and asked for contributions in lieu of flowers to her funeral. Harger also encouraged contributions to the scholarship to be made by anyone who wants to give. Checks can be made payable to The Ohio University Foundation with “Kyra Kurt Willner Global Travel Scholarship” in the memo line, according to Willner’s obituary and can be mailed to Robin Stock, senior director of development at OU.

Willner’s photos have also appeared in The Post.

“Funds are already being donated,” Robert Stewart, director of the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism and academic advisor of the Global Leadership Center, said.

The memorial at Hillel, which will last about an hour, will be followed by an exhibit of Willner's work at Schoonover Center, created in collaboration with the School of Visual Communication.

“After we gather at Hillel, we’ll invite everyone to walk over to Schoonover and continue sharing memories and viewing Kyra’s incredible work,” Goldberg said.

Goldberg said she encourages people to bring anything they would like to pass along to Willner’s family.

“Either a written memory, a photograph, anything they’d like to pass along,” she said.

@taymaple

tm255312@ohio.edu

 

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