Terri Kuklinski

Michelle's smile was one of the first things I noticed about her when I first started teaching her in Crossmen. Her smile can make anyone stop and smile or laugh. A funny story I remember from my first year teaching the Crossmen guard involves that incredible smile and her outlook on life. I had aged out of Cadets not long before and I marched under some tough instructors and I had a lot of that in me when I first started teaching (could be a bit tough and loud). One day during sectionals we were running a set and I yelled down to Michelle for not doing something right. Well she waved up to me and with that big, beautiful smile of hers she yelled up to me "I know, I just really sucked, I'll do better next time!" How do you not smile at that?! I ran that set again and just giggled. A message to Michelle - I always admired you. Your positive outlook on life and how you genuinely cared for everyone you spent time with always made me stop and think what I could do to be a better person. When I would see you at rehearsals or shows, even if we had not seen each other in a while, you were always so genuinely excited and interested in catching up. I am so blessed to have been one of the many lives you touched. Rest peacefully.