Merrilynn Harding described her daughter Avery Harding as smart, goofy and athletic. She wanted to be a nurse, just like her aunt Michelle Friedman, Harding said.
“I was so lucky to be her mom,” Harding said.
Harding’s family and friends are in mourning after the 14-year-old girl was found unresponsive in a hot tub at a Crown Point residence last week, according to her family and the Lake County Coroner’s Office.
The Crown Point Police Department responded to a home in the 1000 block of East Greenwood Avenue around 8:24 a.m. on July 22, according to a release from the police department. She was transported to Franciscan Health Crown Point, where she was later pronounced dead.
The cause and manner of death is pending further investigation, toxicology and histology, according to the coroner’s office. Results will take several weeks as toxicology information was sent to an outside lab in Indianapolis and histology samples are sent to a hospital, Lake County Coroner Chief Deputy Yvette Manfredy told the Post-Tribune Monday.
The incident remains under investigation by the Crown Point Police Department.
Friedman told the Post-Tribune that Avery was at a friend’s house the morning she died, and that her friend and the friend’s family did all they could in trying to save her life. Both families are mourning together, Friedman said.
“We know many people have questions surrounding Avery’s passing. We understand those questions come from a place of love and concern. However, at this time, we do not have all the answers, and we are asking for patience and understanding as we navigate this loss. Right now, our focus is simply on grieving the loss of our beautiful girl and honoring her life,” Friedman wrote in a Facebook post.
Avery died nearly 11 years after her father, Paul “Cubby” Harding, died. Their death anniversaries will be a week apart, Friedman told the Post-Tribune.
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Ruth Dodson, Avery’s grandmother, told the Post-Tribune her granddaughter enjoyed spending time with her family.
“Avery loved her family so much,” Dodson said.
Avery enjoyed “the simple things that made childhood so special,” inducing building Legos, creating crafts, swimming, writing stories and making memories with her friends and family, according to her obituary.
She enjoyed playing volleyball at Epic United Volleyball Club and tubing and boating at Lake Tippecanoe.
“She was vibrant, spirited, fearless, and endlessly funny, with a smile that could brighten any room and a personality that was impossible to forget. She had a way of making people laugh, lifting spirits, and bringing energy wherever she went. Avery loved fiercely and was deeply loved in return,” according to her obituary.
While her life “was heartbreakingly short, the impact she made was immeasurable,” according to her obituary.
“She taught those around her to laugh a little louder, love a little deeper, and treasure every moment. Her beautiful spirit, infectious laughter, and boundless energy will live on in the hearts of everyone who had the privilege of knowing her,” according to her obituary.
Avery is survived by her mother, Merrilynn; her brother, Liam; grandmother, Lynn Vranesevich; grandparents, Lance and Ruth Dodson; as well as many aunts and uncles, cousins, friends, teammates and neighbors.
She was preceded in death by her father; her grandfather, Michael Vranesevich; her great-grandmother, Arlene Hacker; and her uncle, Chris Harding, according to her obituary.
“Avery leaves behind an emptiness that can never truly be filled. While no words can ease the heartbreak of losing Avery, her family finds comfort in knowing she is once again in the loving arms of her dad. She will be deeply missed, forever loved and never forgotten,” according to her obituary.
Visitation has been scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday at Geisen Funeral, Cremation & Reception Center, 606 E. 113th Avenue, Crown Point, followed by a funeral service at 6 p.m.
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