Student remembered for outgoing nature
Friends and family said Mayr was a great dancer
Published: Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Updated: Wednesday, August 29, 2012 20:08
 "Photo: Courtesy of UDaily")
Courtesy of UDaily
Rose Mayr
Whether she was dancing in broad daylight, cooking spinach after midnight, singing for no reason or smiling for any at all, friends said junior Rose Mayr had a resounding effect on those she met due to her lively and spontaneous nature.
The nursing student was killed during a train derailment in her hometown of Ellicott City, Md., on Aug. 21. Her friends said they think she lived her 19 years to the fullest every day.
“I feel like everyone should just take more time to enjoy life because that’s what she did,” said junior Kate Whitman, Mayr’s friend and freshman year roommate.
Mayr and her friend Elizabeth Nass, 19, were seated on the ledge of an overpass above Main Street in Ellicott City sometime after midnight when a CSX train passed behind them, according to Sherry Llewellyn, spokeswoman for the Howard County Police Department. The train derailed and open cars of coal tipped over, spewing their contents and burying the two women.
She said they were found dead by investigators when police arrived at the scene and an autopsy later determined the women died of compressional asphyxia.
Mayr tweeted a picture moments before the accident of her and Nass’ feet dangling off the overpass with the caption, “Levitating.” Llewellyn said the post cannot be verified until the girls’ cell phones are processed by authorities.
University spokeswoman Meredith Chapman released a statement in an email message expressing the university’s reaction to the event.
“We are very saddened by the sudden and tragic loss of one of our community members,” Chapman said. “The University of Delaware community extends its condolences to Ms. Mayr’s family and friends.”
Junior Jill Booth lived in Rodney Residence Hall with Mayr their freshman year. She said they got to know each other while walking to the same nursing classes and that Mayr had no problem making friends.
“Even if you met her once, you felt like you had met her a hundred times, like you knew her,” Booth said.
She said Mayr had the innate ability to walk into a party with a few friends and leave with a roomful.
“Her main thing was she never tried too hard,” Booth said. “It was just natural for her to stand there and talk to someone, and no matter who they were, she could have such an easy conversation with them.”
Junior Paige Mazzie lived with Mayr her freshman and sophomore years and planned to live with her this fall. She said Mayr’s spontaneity reflected on her clothing style. While her friends were worrying about repeating outfits when going out, Mayr could make anything in her wardrobe look fashionable.
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