REMEMBERING DANIELLE

Danielle Marceline was wise beyond her years. 

At 17 years old, she had a courageous kindness that many adults struggle to find.

In elementary school, Danielle befriended a student with disabilities and told the school bullies that he was her friend, so be nice to him. 

In high school, Danielle and her mother, Christine, were driving past a car accident on Route 9. From the car, she could see an elderly woman visibly shaken from the crash, waiting alone for the police. Danielle insisted on them pulling over, and the two waited with her until the police arrived. 

“That was her, that’s just who she was,” Christine said. Her daughter was “a tough cookie,” noting that her kindness was no weakness. She was reserved, but always ready to help.

Danielle carried this strength of goodwill in all aspects of her life: volleyball, basketball, dance, in the classroom at Catholic Central School in Latham, and at home with her parents, Christine and Edwin, and older brother, Dante.

It’s also the reason her loss is felt so deeply. 

On Dec. 3, Danielle died off Cocoa Beach, Fla. She was pulled under by the intense current while swimming in the ocean with a friend. The Florida trip was part of a vacation to celebrate Danielle’s 18th birthday. She died the day before it. 

“She was my everything,” Christine said. “She was such a goofball, singing and dancing. Even though she got along with everybody she was kind of reserved and shy. When it came to her peers she was more reserved until she got to know them, and then she was the life of the party.”

Now, her family and surrounding community is left reeling from her loss. 

On Dec. 5, Catholic Central School held a prayer service for Danielle. Students gathered at St. Ambrose’s parish center to process her loss and create works of art in memory of the CCS senior. Counselors helped buoy the day, and the artwork is on display inside the school. 

“The common thing I heard from the students is this is the first time they lost someone close in age to them,” said Richard Harrigan, interim principal for Catholic Central’s high school. 

Danielle transferred to Catholic Central High School in Lansingburgh her sophomore year during the pandemic. Right away she joined the CCHS volleyball team. While only a sophomore, her talents landed her a spot on varsity. Christine said that even though it meant she was taking away an upperclassman’s spot on the court, nobody cared. They liked Danielle too much to harbor any ill will. 

“She wanted to play volleyball in college,” Christine said. While most of her classes were online, Danielle made connections around the school district through travel volleyball. She loved being active and playing sports, Christine said. She was busy a lot, and she loved it.

It was also hard not to connect with Danielle: she was nice and empathetic; a good student who looked out for others. It spoke to the values that her parents tried to instill in their kids.

Her family isn’t Catholic, Christine said, but she’s familiar with the faith. Her grandfather was a devoted Catholic and she has fond memories of him talking about his religion. 

Like her daughter, Christine also played volleyball in high school. Danielle was like her in so many ways, she said. It was a bond that made them close. 

She was also a lot like her father. Sharing the same music taste and curiosity for architecture (she hoped to study interior design in college.) The two had planned to start building an elevated dog bed for their family Husky when she got back from Florida. 

Christine and her friend had accompanied the girls on their Florida trip. It started out like any other: Danielle helped find and book the Airbnb. The girls went to go for a swim while Christine went back to gather lunch. It took all of 20 minutes before she got back.

By then Danielle’s friend was rescued by lifeguards from the harsh waters, but they couldn’t reach Danielle who was swept under by a rough current. Christine stayed on the beach for over five hours until police asked her to clear the beach. She got the news the next day when Danielle’s body was found. 

“My heart was ripped out,” she said. “It’s the worst nightmare a parent could face.” 

The Catholic community, friends and family have all stepped up to help the Marceline family. Zoe Hunter, a neighbor and close friend, started a GoFundMe page for the family that’s collected over $37,000. 

Christine said the support coming from the CCS coaches and families is all her grandfather’s doing. 

“My grandfather was a devout Catholic and the church meant so much to him, so all of this reception by the Catholic schools and honoring Danielle in some way, I told my mom this was grandpa’s doing,” she said. “This means he’s up there embracing her and holding her.”

Of course, there is also anger with God. Christine wonders how he could allow this to happen to her daughter. At the same time, there’s too much evidence, she says, of God’s presence in the support her family is receiving now. 

“You get angry at God because how could he let this happen, but he’s taking care of us with all this community support and everything that we’re receiving,” she said. “We didn’t go online for two days (after Danielle’s death) and then to see all that love and support, you know God is there. This is something out of God’s hands, but here he is embracing us through our community and all this support. It gives me faith.” 

In her memory, her family has asked people to practice small acts of kindness, as Danielle would.

“That's what we need more of,” she said. “We need more people to be kind to each other.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with memorial costs. To donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/danielles-family-with-memorial-cost.