You never really know how much of an impact someone has at work until that person is gone. For people who attend or work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a recent accident certainly drove this point home. A senior academic librarian was recently killed while she was walking on Lake Street.
The librarian, who has worked more than 25 years in library services, was walking behind a Wisconsin Union delivery truck and was struck by the truck. Her colleagues remember her as someone who was usually quiet, but entered the workday singing. The vice provost for Libraries and University Librarian considered the woman an invaluable resource and says her loss will be felt by all UW System libraries who relied on the woman, who was a library systems and data expert.
Her supervisor remembers her as a private woman who was spirited with her close friends. She said the librarian was a confidant who had an infectious laugh.
This isn’t the first time that the campus has had to face a tragic loss. In June of 2011, another female who was a Memorial Library staff member was killed when she was hit by a Madison Metro bus.
Losing someone to tragic circumstances, such as an accident involving a commercial vehicle, is painful. If you have lost a loved one in a tragic accident, you might have the right to seek to help lighten the financial impact of the loss. While won’t make the loss any easier, it may help to get final expenses and other bills taken care of so that you can focus on the grieving process.
Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison News, “Campus mourns the loss of Edith Dixon” Kari Knutson, Jan. 18, 2014
