May 19, 2017 2 min read

In a Ringgold Middle School hallway, the locker that belonged to Chase Sales is covered by handwritten notes from his peers.

“Everyone is dealing with this differently,” said middle school Principal Mark Alberta. “For a lot of them, this is the first time they’re dealing with a loss, and especially the loss of a peer. Everyone feels the grief.”

Chase, 13, a seventh-grade student who lived in Monongahela, died unexpectedly Monday. According to a fundraising site set up for his family, he died from a pulmonary embolism.

Alberta said Chase was very likeable and a well-behaved student. In addition to leaving notes on his locker, students are making cards for his family and relying on each other for support.

“There are an outpouring of students coming to seek counseling, writing their feelings and paying their respects,” he said. “The teachers are saying what a great a student he was, how he had a love for music and how well he did during that performance.”

A member of the choir, Chase participated in the school musical over the weekend and sang selections from “Oklahoma” and “Alice in Wonderland.”

The school is providing a copy of those performances to the family for viewing during the funeral. Visitation is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Friday in Frye Funeral Home in Monongahela, where services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The staff at the middle school has put together fundraising initiatives to help the family pay for funeral costs and for future needs, to which the students have enthusiastically responded.

“I can’t tell you enough how well the staff and support staff is doing,” he said. “We’ve had an outpouring. We had so many people wanting to do things.”

Alberta said the school is providing counseling services for students.

“We put a plan together for students to sit and talk in groups or individually, whatever they need,” he said. “That will continue however long our students need to process.”

Dalton Miller, 14, was friends with Chase while they were students together in Bentworth School District. He said Chase enjoyed outdoor activities, including football, riding bikes, fishing and baseball.

“Relaxed and funny. Those are the two words that sum him up,” Dalton said. “He’s was a kindhearted person. He always tried to keep people on track. He tried to make them feel better about what they had done wrong.”