Oregon family's tragedy inspires foundation, acts of kindness

In the nighttime hours after Silverton High School graduate Elizabeth Hoke died in a car crash last September, her parents, Anthony and Kristan, felt a grief so heavy they wondered how they could survive until sunrise – and then live the next day, too.

“It felt like all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room, and I couldn’t breathe,” said Anthony. “When a child dies, you’re not wired for it as a human being.”

In those same dark hours, a thought coalesced in his mind. He should start a fund to help other kids accomplish good things in the world like his daughter would have. To carry on her spirit. To thank the community that made her who she was.

“We had to find a way to carry on this amazing soul,” he said.

Now, less than three months after Elizabeth’s death, the Hokes and their close friends have created the Elizabeth Ashley Hoke Memorial Trust, a nonprofit that is funding 10 scholarships for local students, has purchased books for area schools and has hosted a free Thanksgiving meal.

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