OGDEN, Utah — Friends and family in one Ogden neighborhood gathered to grieve the loss of homeowner Jody Thackeray and his daughter, Desiree, who were killed in that car crash.
For as long as anyone in the area can remember, the home on 27th Street in Ogden had been the gathering spot for birthdays, holidays, and good times.
Rebecca Vigil Perez lost her dad and sister in the wreck.
She said she remembered all the good times at her dad’s house.
“Oh yeah, ever since I was a teenager, my mom and dad always welcomed everyone in," she said.
Jody and Desiree were killed August 25 in a three-car collision on I-215 in Salt Lake City.
Family friend Reyna Grihalva said the support at the vigil seemed to help ease everyone’s pain.
“It’s amazing to see everybody here and loving and supporting, just coming together and uniting together. I think that’s what they would have wanted, was for everyone to be here," said Grihalva.
In an ironic twist, Jody and Desiree, along with two other relatives, were on their way to a concert in Salt Lake to commemorate the passing of Jody’s wife one year earlier.
Joseph Vigil was in the car and survived the wreck.
He said he’s recovering physically, but Wednesday’s show of love and support was helping his soul heal.
“Really emotional for our family. I can’t believe how many people are here, supporting us and remembering our family members…It’s really beautiful," said Vigil.
They’ve established a GoFundMe account to help with funeral expenses and to help support the surviving family members.
“I feel like we all are dealing with a lot, just trying to be strong together and make it through this.”
