Marissa’s Story
Marissa Emily Lloyd was a smart, kind, compassionate and fun loving little girl who managed to put a smile on the face of everyone who she met. Marissa had the chance in her life to do more than most grown adults will do in a lifetime. She accomplished so much in such a short amount of time.
Marissa was born in the quaint little town of Caribou in Northern Maine. At five she and her mom ventured to the City of Portland, Maine where her mom continued her education.
In Portland Marissa learned about diversity, the wonders of the library and having her very own library card. She played in the Portland Area Youth Soccer Association, and was on the Portland Recreation Department basketball team. Marissa attended the recreation after school program and it was there that she developed her love for building fairy houses. She thought that if she built a house out of sticks at the bottom of a tree that the fairies would come and sleep for the night. She especially loved going back the next day to check on the house that she built, and to see the fairy dust all over the ground. That was her sign that the fairies really liked her house.
Marissa was always building and digging. Last summer she thought that she wanted to be a paleontologist when she grew up.
After two years in Portland Marissa and her mom returned to Caribou to be closer to family. In Caribou she attended Hilltop school and was in Mrs. Boone’s 2nd grade classroom. She also played on the AYBL basketball league as a second grader.
Simply put Marissa was an amazing little girl, who touched so many lives. She was a daughter, a grandchild, a great grandchild, a niece, a great niece, cousin, friend, helper and a big sister to one.
Marissa loved to read, play basketball, soccer, snowboard with Mom, dance, ride bike, swim, plant gardens with Grampy, and make special treats for school with her Mim.
Marissa traveled from Portland Maine to Boston Mass by train and got to spend the day in Quincy Market and meet the Yo-Yo people. She also met the Olympic Snowboard Cross Gold Medallist Maine’s own Seth Wescott at Big Rock Ski ARea in Mars Hill. She flew to South Carolina to visit family, and this turned into a trip that she took for the last 4 years!
Marissa loved to be active doing and learning new things. She had an idea for the Children’s Museum in Caribou and her Idea was to make the building look like a tube of lipstick, because there are no buildings like that in Caribou.
She loved collecting rocks, playing with her pets and she was constantly drawing pictures for her loved ones! Marissa looked up to the older kids especially her cousin Jenny who read with her and taught her math problems.
Marissa was in the Maine Dance Academy in Caribou for three years and loved to be on the stage. She was a vibrant ray of light with an addictive personality who lit up the world around her!
Marissa was only seven years old but at times she acted much more wiser than her years. All she ever wanted was to share love and to be loved she had so much happiness and grief in her short life, but one thing always remained true no matter what, she had a spirit that could not be broken, and a smile that will never be forgotten.
On February 15, 2008 Marissa passed away in a tragic car accident. May she always watch over us in our days ahead. In order to keep her memory and spirit alive I have started this fund to help children of all ages.