Tori Schmanski Obituary

Thank you all for the unbelievable outpouring of love and support for Tori and our family through many channels including the www.pray4tori.com site, Facebook accounts, telephone and email. We are deeply touched, sincerely grateful and truly blessed and our appreciation cannot be described in words.

I finished writing Tori's obituary below at 3am this morning and we have now finalized it through meetings with the our local church, mortuary and the cemetery. Maria and I want to express our deepest sympathies for any parent who has had to go through all of this and bury their child... It truly is a heart wrenching and unnatural process that we wish no parent would have to endure.

Please visit the Facebook Event we have setup for Tori's Funeral and let us know if you are attending: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=176428468837&ref=mf. Please spread the word on this event as well. A wonderful tribute was produced for Tori, you can see it here (wmv). A news story on Tori was broadcast on KSL TV here and the following newspaper articles were published as well - Salt Lake Tribune, Deseret News, Daily Herald.

Our beloved Tori Schmanski passed away Saturday, November 7, 2009 and is now dancing with angels.

Tori was a beautiful and vibrant person who had an incredibly positive and inspirational impact on so many people during her short time with us all. She was very compassionate, a remarkable leader and her wonderful smile and charismatic personality naturally drew others to her. Her life revolved around her friends and family whom she loved so dearly. She will live eternally in the hearts of all she touched.

She was also independent, very intelligent, articulate, athletic and confident in her abilities which allowed her to excel academically and in everything else she pursued including her passion for dance. In addition she enjoyed snowboarding, family vacations, computers and the internet, listening to and writing music, all of her amazing friends and lastly boys much to the dismay of her parents at times... She had an ardent zest for life and celebrated it with each and every moment.

Tori was truly a hero who chose the utmost sacrifice of her life when faced with extreme adversity. True to her character, she always thought of and placed others before herself and we are forever grateful for her courage and unselfish act of love in helping her sister and cousin first and foremost on that tragic Father's Day, June 19, 2005 where Tori sustained an anoxic brain injury that took her livelihood but not her incredible strength, determination and will to live. Tori, thank you so much, you are the ultimate example of how we should all lead our lives and you will forever be in our hearts and souls.

For the thousands of caring and devoted people who have followed Tori's story (www.pray4tori.com) over the past 52 months we would sincerely like to thank you all for the love, prayers and support you have provided for Tori and our family. We are truly blessed and your presence was felt each and every day. Every one of you has made a dramatic impact on our lives. Words cannot really express how eternally grateful, appreciative and thankful we are for everything that has been done for Tori and our family.

We would like to extend a very special thank you to all of those who provided care and support for Tori including her home nurses, therapists and teachers and especially the outstanding and unsurpassed medical staff at the Primary Children’s Medical Center and Shriner's Hospital in SLC. All of you are truly angels among us.

Tori is survived by her mother Maria (Harris) and father Tim, siblings Whitney and Brendan as well as her grandparents Paul and Sandy Schmanski, and Rex and Lois Harris of Delta, UT. Additionally Tori is survived by numerous loving aunts, uncles, cousins and incredibly caring and supportive friends. Thank you to ‘The Dance Club’ girls and families whom we love so much!

A celebration of Tori’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, November 13, 2009 at Windsor Stake Center 1600 N 60 E Orem, UT 84057.
The family will receive friends Thursday evening November 12, 2009 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Walker Sanderson Funeral Home 800 N 646 E Orem, UT 84097 and again at the Windsor Stake Center prior to the funeral service on Friday at 9:30 a.m.
Internment will follow the services in the Orem City Cemetery.
Friends can also call on a light luncheon after the service held at the Windsor Stake Center.
In lieu of flowers please donate in Tori's name to the Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City, UT.
Online condolences may be shared www.walkerfamilymortuary.com

We love you Tori and know you are whole so dance, dance, dance once more!!