Pavilion mourns deaths of teen sisters
School serves as center to console the grieving
PAVILION — They gathered Sunday in a brick school in the Town of Pavilion to mourn the loss of two teenage sisters who died one day earlier when their car was broadsided at an intersection in the Town of Darien.
About 100 students, parents, faculty members and grief counselors met privately in the library of Pavilion Central Middle/High School to console one another and share memories.
Students said they decorated the lockers that belonged to Sarah M. Protulipac, 17, and her 16-year-old sister, Gretchen, adorning the lockers with flowers, posters and lyrics from special songs.
“It was heartbreaking,” said one student who spoke with a reporter in a school parking lot as she left the vigil.
Sarah was a junior at Pavilion Central. Her sister was a sophomore. Both girls were well-liked honor students who were musically inclined, said Edward Orman, the school district’s superintendent. In fact, Sarah performed earlier this spring in Pavilion Central’s production of “Guys and Dolls.” She also took part in a talent show.
“She always tried to cheer people up,” said Macy Penders, 16, who knew Sarah since second grade.
“She was a very sweet person,” said Brian Mogenhan, a senior at Pavilion Central who described Sarah as laid-back and compassionate.
Gretchen loved softball and volleyball, her friends recalled. But she wasn’t one of those overly competitive athletes.
“She was always the one to root other people on,” a fellow volleyball player said.
Gretchen also was involved in the Girl’s Service League, volunteering her time to help boost community causes.
The sisters were extremely close, classmates recalled. While they had their own circles of friends, they were often seen hanging out together.
“We’re going to miss them,” said one student as she left the school.
The Genesee County sheriff said the accident investigation is continuing.
A statement released Saturday signed by Sheriff Gary T. Maha indicated that Sarah was driving a 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier and was traveling west of Sumner Road. The sheriff said the car failed to stop at a stop sign on Route 77 and was struck by a 2000 Dodge Ram pickup that was traveling south. The pickup was hauling a “homemade” flatbed trailer carrying a car, sheriff’s officials said. The two girls died instantly, officials added.
The driver of the pickup, Robert. J. Pool III, 28, of Lockport, and a passenger were not injured.
The sisters were returning from Darien Lake, where they may have been training for summer jobs or interviewing for positions.
Their deaths cast a pall over Pavilion, a quiet hamlet southeast of Batavia on the border of Genesee and Wyoming counties.
At a Wilson Farms store not far from the school, a clerk said customers were voicing shock and sadness. The Protulipac family lives on Lake Street in Pavilion.
Superintendent Orman said he thinks Sunday’s vigil at the school helped “bring everyone together” at an excruciating time. He said the school psychologist, guidance counselors and a social worker were present.
“Several other schools have volunteered counselors if we need them this week, and we’re very appreciative,” said Orman.
The superintendent said it will be up to the girls’ family to decide whether a memo-rial service will be held at the school.
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