The potential of snow forced a change of plans for a family looking to pay tribute to a Middletown woman killed recently in a hit-and-run.
Two daughters-in-law of Barbara Eddinger had planned to run in the Harvard Pilgrim Middletown Half Marathon in honor of the 61-year-old.
The race had to be postponed because of anticipated snow and windy conditions.
“Initially another blow but I think it gives us another opportunity to get even more prepared to honor her in a little bigger way,” says Annie Eddinger, a daughter-in-law of Barbara.
Police say Barbara Eddinger was putting a letter in her mailbox on Chamberlain Road in Middletown on Thursday when an out-of-control SUV struck her and then took off. The driver, believed to be a male, has not been found.
Police say the driver’s side front end will have noticeable damage. The SUV is described as dark blue/black on the lower half of the vehicle and a lighter color by the roof line.
Eddinger was a mother of five sons and a grandmother to 15 children.
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Her family says she had a love of gardening and one of her favorite projects was filling planters that dot Main Street in Middletown.
The family had hoped before the road race to place a ribbon and a picture of Eddinger in planters that line the course so runners could connect a face with the hard work which had been previously done.
“These planters people walk by every day and this was her work of art, her expression of love and I don’t think a lot of people realized it was her,” says Kelly Eddinger, one of Barbara’s daughters-in-law.
Both Kelly and Annie Eddinger had special shirts made for the race with Barbara’s picture on it.
“She was extremely giving and caring. She was always the first person when someone had gone through a hard time, she was the first person to bring them a meal, to setup, bring them soup weekly for as long as they needed it,” says Annie Eddinger.
The family plans to soon work on the planters so they will be filled with flowers for the race whenever it is rescheduled.
Those who knew Eddinger the best say they are focused right now on remembering how she lived her life and that justice will come in due time.
