The LBCC community came together to mourn the death of one of its most beloved faculty members, Wendy Koenig.
“We lost a true force of passion and light,” said Superintendent President Mike Munoz to those who came to pay their respects in the T Building on Thursday.
As attendees entered the building, they were greeted by tables in which they could leave written regards or view Koenig’s belongings.
The CD collection, art magazines, stickers, and trinkets that once lived on her desk were now on display to honor her memory.
At the focal point of the room was a table adorned by a large bouquet of technicolored flowers, Koenig’s bike helmet, her favorite pair of sunglasses, brown leather boots, her graduation gown from her alma mater and a salmon-colored marble urn.
The program was centered around the professor’s love for music. Between each speaking portion, Biggs would tell a story to introduce Koenig’s relationship to a song which was then played for all to listen to in solidarity.
The memorial began with Spiritual Healing by Toots and the Maytals, a song from the band she saw at her first concert in Cincinnati. The program was followed with words from Munoz, Wendy Koenig’s widow Christie Koenig, and the memorial program facilitator Mike Biggs.
Koenig’s colleagues, students, friends and family filled the seats for the memorial service. Those who could not make it in person attended the service via Zoom, with many of her past students tuning up from all over the country. One student tuned in all the way from Belfast, Ireland.
Christie Koenig was the first to take to the stand. “She just wanted a normal life and school was a normal life. Sick days were not,” Christie Koenig said.
Koenig’s widow spoke on the challenges her wife faced while trying to maintain a normal life, saying that she tirelessly kept up with meetings, classes, and bike riding all while going through chemotherapy. Koenig maintained her “normal life” so well that many of her colleagues were unaware of how sick she actually was.
Student Preston Parsons took the stand next to read multiple letters from other students that were enrolled in Koenig’s art history honors class. “Thank you so much for everything, Dr. Koenig.”
“You are the light and the love I so desperately needed,” Parson read from a letter written by student Victoria Sandoval.
Former student Anna Fitzgerald took almost every art class Wendy Koenig taught during her time at the college. Fitzgerald expressed how thankful she was to have Koenig as a mentor, saying that their relationship helped mold her into the creative life coach and artist she is today.
“The pureness of who she was remains in the memory of all her students and ripples out to all who cross her path… you will be remembered as one of the most positively influential people in my life, ” Fitzgerald said in a letter.
By the time Parsons got through all the letters, there was not a dry eye in sight within the room. The importance Koenig played in her students’ lives became evident as students related their success stories to their interactions with her. Koenig had motivated them to keep going in their academic journeys and for some, in life.
After Koenig’s colleagues and friends got up to speak, the memorial closed out with My Old Kentucky Home, Goodnight by John Prine, the song capable of making even the strong Koenig shed a tear.
Guests were then invited to meet outside the building for the reception which provided food and drinks for guests as they mingled and bonded over their memories of the unforgettable Wendy Koenig.
Wendy Koenig was 56 before she died of colon cancer, but even during her 8-month battle she never let her sickness dictate her spirit or get in the way of her life. Koenig will be put to rest at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. For those interested in helping contribute to Wendy Koenig’s funeral expenses, people can donate to her GoFundMe.