On September 7th, 2020, Jemicy School lost former student Hannah O’Toole, who passed away unexpectedly while at The Ohio State University. O’Toole was well-loved and sadly left behind many friends and family who cared for her deeply. She touched the lives of many students and faculty alike.
Senior and close friend Maura Bannon said, “Hannah and I became friends a year ago. What made our friendship work is we were able to understand each other. She had a hard time expressing how she felt. She was kind to everyone even if someone was mean to her”.
O’Toole started at Jemicy in 8th grade, and in her five years, made her mark on the community. She was involved in many in-school events and activities, including being a part of the SGA and participating in the Oratorical Contest. Throughout her years at Jemicy, O’Toole grew from a shy little girl in USP to a confident and fun-loving senior. She was often seen in the hallway sporting her trademark unique colorful socks.
Ms. Julia Dimaio, who was O’Toole’s advisor, remembers her fondly.
“One day after tennis practice, Hannah noticed she had a flat tire. She drove to school the next day with the tire still flat. By the time she got to school, it was the flattest tire you have ever seen. Her brother was in the passenger seat. She didn’t know how to change the tire. She didn’t want someone to fix it for her, she wanted to be guided to change the tire.
Hannah was fiercely independent and Dimaio recalled another instance where O’Toole bucked the system.
“She also refused to listen to the music playlist that I played during tennis practice, so she made her own playlist on my Spotify account and took her profile picture with my laptop,” said Dimaio.
Bannon also recalls the free spirit that was O’Toole.
“My favorite memory of her is when we were driving in her car with all the windows down and the music turned up loud. She didn’t care what people thought of her and alway kept a smile on her face no matter what.”
Hannah was a very talented writer. She won many writing contests throughout her time at Jemicy and even gave a speech highlighting her accomplishments at the Class of 2020’s graduation ceremony.
“If I didn’t come here, I would not be ⅝ of the person I am today. I am not preaching that this place has been perfect or that every day was amazing–I’ve spent my fair share of time crying in the bathroom–but there is not a single place I would rather publicly cry. To sum up this incredibly long point, thank you, all of you. Through the ups and downs, the good and bad, I think we all grew together; we’ve made each other great,” said O’Toole. “ I cannot wait to see what you all will do. I know it will be nothing less than exceptional. Thank you, truly, for making this my home. I am exponentially honored to officially be a Jemicy Alumni.”
If you would like to honor Hannah’s memory, please donate to the Jemicy School while we remember her individuality and character, her many talents, and the light she shared with her school community, please visit https://jemicyschool.givingfuel.com/jemfund-h2.
MOOSE PRINTS 
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