Three times the bell of the USS West Virginia rang out, carried by the chilly Friday breeze, in remembrance and celebration of two WVU students whose lives were too short — Ryan Diviney and Rylee Burnette.
Diviney, 29, died Aug. 31, after being beat into a coma on Nov. 7, 2009. Burnette, 17, died by suicide Oct.10, her father Tim said.
“They will always be alive on our campus, in our hearts and in our lives, through the wonderful memories of our experiences together,” Senior Associate Dean of Campus and Community Life Kim Mosby said.
Burnette was an honor roll student and standout athlete at Clay-Battelle High School. Burnette was enrolled in online math classes as part of WVU’s early access program. She wanted to be an athletic trainer, Tim said.
“She was just known as a girl with a smile on her face all the time,” Tim said.
He hopes to raise awareness of depression, noting just because someone is always smiling on the outside, doesn’t mean everything is fine inside.
Diviney was a WVU sophomore, who wanted to go to law school and eventually be a judge or senator. He loved sports and was an outstanding high school baseball player. A WVU student ambassador, Ryan loved the school’s campus and history, his father Ken said.
“I remember the first time we came here, we stood right in this spot and he showed us the bell and gave us the history. He showed us where the football field was,” Ken said. “He deserved more from this world but this world deserved more from him as well.”
Diviney wanted to share his WVU experience with his sister, Kari, who received her acceptance letter while he was in the ICU, Ken said. Kari is now a WVU alum.
Ken thanked WVU for its constant support — starting in the ICU the morning after his son was attacked.
“What an honor that they still remember my son and not necessarily because of the tragedy of the situation but because of what he brought to this university and this community,” he said.
A documentary, called “Storming: The Story of Ryan Diviney,” is expected to launch in 2021, Ken said. The film documents the struggles the family has faced after leaving the courtroom. The film will keep Diviney’s legacy alive, help people cope with similar situations and help people understand what it takes to care for someone 24/7.
“It’s not as they imagine. It’s not them laying in a hospital bed on a respirator, life support, it’s not that at all,” Ken said. “It’s constant 24-hour care. We’re tending to every need, everything we can do trying to keep his body healthy in that one little hope that he might come back to us.”
