Remembering Hailey

Words just don't seem to convey the sorrow being in felt in Novato right now.

The silence at a 6:30 p.m. candlelight vigil Friday at San Marin High School will be a reflection of that speechless feeling as the community mourns Hailey Ratliff, who was killed Thursday afternoon as she was riding her bike home from school.

Dolores Vallez, Hailey's eldest cousin, said the close-knit family is shocked. Several of them left New Mexico immediately and headed to Novato to support father Charles, mother Angela and Hailey's three younger brothers, Vellez said.

"She was very bright, energetic and beautiful," Vallez said. "She had many friends and cousins in Albuquerque and was nervous about finding new friends when she moved. Well,  she had no problem. With a bright smile on her face and a great fashion, Hailey would light up the room everywhere she went. She was never shy and always up for a challenge. You never knew what she was gonna say — usually something that would make you shake your head and laugh." 

Vellez shared some photos with Novato Patch to get a tribute photo gallery going. You can contribute photos yourself to this gallery by hitting the "upload" button.

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