By Joe Sinisi
She moved here from Phoenix less than a year ago when her father got a job transfer to Denver. Fleming was an unselfish human being who "cared about other people'' and "didn't demand very much'' of others, said Joy, the best friend Fleming left behind at Desert Sky Middle School.
Kelly "wanted to be a writer and hoped to be remembered for the book she was going to do based on her life experiences,'' said Joy, who asked that her last name not be used.
Fleming wrote short stories and shared them with Joy. They sometimes started with themes of sorrow and depression - but moved on to a sense of safety and happiness by their conclusion.
Joy last spoke to Fleming on the phone only last Friday - when they made plans for her to visit Arizona this summer.
"She could have gone on to make a real difference in the world with her writing,'' said Joy. "I couldn't believe she's gone. When I first heard it, I was convinced there had to be a mistake and she was still alive.''
Copyright 1999 The Denver Post. All rights reserved.
Newcomer was aspiring writer
Denver Post Staff Writer
April 23 - Kelly Fleming, 16, was new to Colorado, having gone to elementary and middle school in Deer Valley - a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona.
Previous Picture Next Picture
Return to the Picture Index
Picture courtesy of Associate Press Copyright (C) 1999. All rights reserved.