UNIVERSITY OF UTAH – Hundreds of people had their chance to say goodbye to a U of U student killed in an attempted carjacking by the mouth of Red Butte Canyon last week.
People attending the service for ChenWei Guo say his parents gave moving and emotional speeches about their son. “His mom waxed pretty emotional describing her love for her son. His dad shared some amusing anecdotes which brought some levity to a somber situation,” according to Guo’s friend, Stephen Fabiano.
Most of the service was held in Mandarin inside the Institute Building on the U of U campus. But, even if some people couldn’t understand what some of the speakers were saying, Fabiano says there was a clear message. “I think it’s just to be appreciative of the time you have with your loved ones,” he says.
Chalimar Swain was Guo’s boss at the International Student and Scholar Services Office. She says Guo was always the kind of person who wanted to help others and make their lives easier. Swain says, “I will remember his smile every time I came into the office. He always had a smile and a ‘good morning’ when he was there.”
Swain says the people attending the service believe Guo’s death is just a temporary goodbye, and they’ll be reunited in the next life.
(Photo Credit: KSL TV file)