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The victims were:
- Paul Pelletier, age 55, of Columbia, in Tolland County
- Frank Rodriquez, age 88, of Lebanon, in New London County
- Susan Van Ness, age 51, of Middletown, in Middlesex County
- Delilah Van Ness, age 15, of Middletown, in Middlesex County
Pelletier was an aviation teacher at Middletown High School and Delilah Van Ness was his student. Susan Van Ness was Delilah's mother.
In the days following the crash in Addison County, Vermont, friends, and loved ones have posted dozens of memorials to them.
Middletown Mayor Ben Florsheim posted that the town had suffered a "profound loss."
Paul Pelletier, Susan Van Ness, and Delilah Van Ness were each extraordinary members of our community and contributors to the common good that makes Middletown such a unique place. A tragedy of this magnitude is felt deeply by our whole city and beyond, and the impacts will continue to be felt. Paul was a passionately dedicated educator and a leader in his field. Delilah was an exceptionally bright young woman with limitless potential ahead of her as she began sophomore year. Sue was not only a model parent to Delilah but a dedicated and compassionate community servant.
Susan Van Ness served as chief of programs for the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN), which works to help disadvantaged families get the necessities they need.
"Susan is recognized for her compassion, dedication, and persistent desire to make us better people," the organization posted on Facebook. "A lover of animals and a keeper of bees, Susan lived a life in service to others, particularly her daughter Delilah, her family, and the community of Middletown, Connecticut, in which she lived. We all are blessed to have known her and we will remember her always."
Elizabeth Sunny Barnes, who works at Middletown Schools, posted it pained her to think of what the world lost in Delilah Van Ness.
"My district, my school, and I lost a super bright light this weekend. Delilah was in my first-ever class at Macdonough. I have about a million thoughts but my first 3 are: could she have been more brilliant? We’ve missed out on so much. This loss feels so wrong.
“'You know that feeling at the first day of school? That mix of excited and maybe a little bit nervous?” - Delilah Van Ness'"
Barnes also shared notes the teen had given teachers, thanking them for their hard work and kindness.
Other teachers wrote about her intelligence and dreams of becoming a doctor someday.
Middletown High School was closed on Tuesday, Sept. 10, as students and faculty mourned the deaths of Delilah Van Ness and Paul Pelletier.
"This unimaginable loss has left a void in our hearts and our community," Middletown School Superintendent Alberto Vázquez Matos said in a statement. "Paul, Delilah, and Susan were special individuals whose absence is already being felt throughout our district and city."
Pelletier was the school's aviation technology teacher who gave flying lessons to Delilah Van Ness.
Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz said Pelletier was a dedicated educator who cared deeply for his students.
"I have had the pleasure of knowing Paul Pelletier for the past six years. He was a dedicated and beloved teacher who led Middletown High School's Aerospace and Manufacturing program. It was an honor to visit his classroom and see firsthand the energy and enthusiasm he shared with his students.
"My heart goes out to our Middletown Public Schools community and the loved ones of Paul."
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