BECKLEY, W.Va. – Deb Evans considers Paula Wykle to be one of her best friends. She recalled the friendship began in the Junior Women’s Club of Beckley, which lead to the creation of a local hiking group, the Happy Hikers.
“The exercise is great, but the support and the therapy that we get from one another just can’t be beat,” Evans told MetroNews.
Evans also remembers where she was in July when she heard Wykle’s daughter, Delaney, died in a helicopter crash in the Bahamas.
“I was golfing with two of my children. We were on the seventh hole at Grandview and got a text from the mother saying, ‘My baby died today,” she said.
“My kids and I left the golf course immediately … I’ll always remember where I was and what was going on when I heard the news. Things like that are game changers for everyone’s life and especially her family’s life. It was very devastating, and still is,” she said.
Delaney Wykle was among the seven victims of the Independence Day incident. The helicopter crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing everyone on board.
More than two months later, friends of the Wykle family are doing something to honor Delaney Wykle’s life; they will dedicate a garden honoring her on Wednesday.
The garden is located at the Paul Cline Memorial Soccer Complex along the Grey Flat Trails.
Delaney Wykle, who was 22 when she died, graduated from West Virginia University in May and planned to work as a registered nurse at Raleigh General Hospital.
Evans said Delaney Wykle was an “exceptional lady.”
“She was a beautiful young lady, but her heart was as pretty as she was. She was just very kind, caring and compassionate,” she said.
“She also loved adventure,” Evans added. “When the word adventure came up, she was usually up for it. She was just a really special lady.”
A sign at the garden reads, “In loving memory of Delaney Wykle, planted in memory of a life so beautifully lived …a heart so deeply loved.” Evans said she hopes Delaney Wykle’s family and friends find comfort when they visit the site.
“Sometimes, you’re dealt things that are really difficult to deal with, but hopefully, with the help of friends and family, you’ll get through it,” she said. “This garden signifies everything that was beautiful about Delaney and a lasting tribute to her family.”
The formal dedication ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. Evans noted the reason the ceremony is on Wednesday is the day marks what would have been Delaney Wykle’s 23rd birthday.