TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Hundreds upon hundreds of lights lit up the lawn in front of Old Main at the University of Arizona on Friday night. It was a vigil in memory of Dr. Thomas Meixner, the head of the hydrology and atmospheric sciences department at the university.
Meixner was shot by a former student on Wednesday at the University of Arizona.
“He was a friend to anyone that he ever came in contact with,” Brad Story, the associate dean of the university's College of Science said.
Story said ever since he started working at the university about 22 years ago, he knew Meixner on and off and they would often walk to department meetings together.
“Tom’s department was on the North side of campus as is mine in Speech and Hearing and we would often walk from Old Simpson where we had our associate head meetings together after the meetings,” Story said.
Story said he knows Meixner’s family is going through a hard time, but said the university community is behind them.
When asked about his message to Meixner's family, Story said, “That we will never ever forgot Tom and his contributions to our lives."
Lisel Folks is the provost of the university and also worked with Meixner. She described him as an intellectual scientist who was calm and thoughtful. She said he contributed a lot of work to hydrology.
“His research in water touched so many other areas of the campus. He was a key faculty leader in this topic,” she said.
His family was in attendance as well. His brother in law shared memories of Meixner and said he wants to remind people to hold their loved ones close and give them a hug.
Some of Meixner's students were also in attendance, but some students who had never met him were also there to celebrate his life.
Christina Tellez did not know Meixner, but she went to the vigil. Her mom made buttons with Meixner’s name in a heart and she was handing them out at the vigil.
“Even if like people didn’t know him, it just shows a lot of love and support here at the University of Arizona,” Tellez said.
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