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The Long Island natives and Farmingdale High School sweethearts were killed in a car crash in Washington State on Thursday, May 2. Details about the wreck were not immediately available.
Their deaths came just two days after the 28-year-old Cullen, a Petty Officer in the US Navy stationed outside of Seattle on Whidbey Island, picked up an engagement ring that he planned on giving to Kedar, according to relatives.
“They had plans on Friday morning to look at houses together with a realtor so they could start the next chapter of their lives,” Haley Paige, Cullen’s cousin, said on Facebook.
Cullen and Kedar moved to Washington State after he requested a transfer to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island to be closer to family. He hoped to work for Boeing or Microsoft when he finished his active-duty term.
“He had so many dreams and so many plans,” Paige said.
Following their cross-country move, Kedar got a job at a coffee shop near the Navy base. The business said her death has “hit us all hard.”
“We have all rallied together to support our Whidbey Coffee family during this devastating time,” the company wrote on Facebook. “We are still in shock and can’t seem to wrap our head around the fact that she is gone.”
Paige remembered Kedar as “one of the best people" she knows.
“She was a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day and in Washington we have a lot of those. She was an incredible person. She had the biggest heart.”
The Navy will ensure that Cullen is transported back to Long Island, but relatives have to cover the cost of bringing Kedar back to her hometown. They’ve since launched a GoFundMe campaign to help offset the costs.
“The pain of losing a child is incomprehensible, and being distanced only exacerbates the grief. During this difficult time, Suzie should be home, alongside her family, friends and those who have stood by her endlessly,” said campaign creator Jami Rosario.
“With the help of your support, Suzie can be returned home to her family. It is the wishes of both families that they be memorialized in a combined service and laid to rest together.”
The fundraiser had raised over $43,000 as of Monday, May 6. Those who wish to donate can do so here.
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