*Editor’s note: Welcome back to another year of Potosi High School student journalism! We are proud to honor the late Sydney Fecht (class of 2021) by publishing this as our first article this year.
We appreciate your readership and support, and if you have suggestions for school- or community-related stories for our student journalists to cover, please reach out to me by email. Thanks! - Mr. Fry
In a small town like Potosi, Wisconsin, some people have a way of making their presence known without ever asking for attention. Sydney Fecht was one of those people. Whether she was helping her family, supporting her friends, coaching volleyball clubs, or greeting patients at work, Sydney had her own way of making the people around her feel cared for. To those who knew her, she was more than a familiar face. She was someone whose kindness and smile made people feel welcome.
Sydney died Tuesday, September 1, 2026, after battling brain cancer. Her passing left a hole in the lives of the many people who knew and loved her. Although her life was cut short, the stories shared by her family and those who coached her show how much she gave to the people around her and how strongly she will be remembered.
According to her mother, Shelly Fecht, Sydney’s thoughtful nature was noticeable from the very beginning. “She was a month early; she weighed about 5.5 pounds when she was born,” Shelly recalled. Even as a baby, Sydney saw everything. “Even from that teeny little age she was observant; she studied people and tried to understand them.” Shelly said she would sometimes catch Sydney watching her and think to herself, “I have to behave,” because Sydney seemed to be taking in everything around her.
That ability to notice people went hand-in-hand with the values Shelly hoped to raise her daughter with. Before she knew whether she was having a girl or a boy, Shelly said she told people that her child did not have to be the smartest, prettiest, or most athletic. “She just has to be kind,” she remembered saying. “Kindness is important, and she did that.” For Sydney's mom, Sydney’s life became a reflection of that hope. Sydney cared about people and struggled to understand why anyone would be unkind. “She just didn’t understand how someone can yell at someone else; just be kind,” Shelly said.
Shelly remembered that Sydney had natural ability and wanted to get things done quickly, whether she was reading, doing homework, or working on something else. That urgency could sometimes be an obstacle, but it was also part of the determined person she was. Still, Shelly said Sydney did not let things bring her down. “She truthfully loved life and lived life; she just didn’t let things bother her.”
That love for life was clear to Jolene Murray, Sydney’s former volleyball coach. Murray first remembers Sydney from when she entered middle school as a sixth grader. Many students are excited about school at that age, she said, but Sydney’s enthusiasm was unmatched. She described her as "bubbly and happy, full of ideas, and always willing to volunteer or get involved."
Murray later had the opportunity to coach Sydney at Potosi from 2019 to 2021, after Murray had taken time away to coach her own daughter in another district. Returning to coach that group was one of the reasons Murray chose to come back to coaching at Potosi. The experience allowed her to build a new relationship with Sydney, one she said she “will always cherish.” Sydney often came to her with ideas and suggestions because she knew her coach was willing to listen. Murray valued that trust, along with Sydney’s commitment to her team. “She cared about having a great season; she put 100 percent into it and thought about how her teammates were feeling.” Murray described her as an “amazing leader both on and off the court.” She also remembers Sydney stopping by her classroom for “game day” pictures, which they tried to post regularly.
Volleyball was about more than the game for Sydney. She helped coach a local volleyball club and encouraged young athletes. Murray remembers her as a good teammate and a leader who cared about others. She also remembers Sydney’s sweet personality and sense of humor. “She was so very sweet, but was always making me laugh,” Murray said. When Murray thinks of Sydney, she pictures a bubbly young woman full of love, looking cute and lovable, and perhaps dancing with Dolly Parton, who she thought shared some of Sydney’s qualities.
Sydney’s kindness also reached beyond the volleyball court. She helped her family and friends and worked at Southwest Health as a Patient Access Representative. In that role, she interacted with patients at the beginning of their health care experience. A hospital can be a stressful place, and a warm greeting can make a difference. Sydney’s smile and caring nature helped make her memorable to the people she encountered.
Behind the smile, however, Sydney faced challenges that few people could fully understand. Murray said she cannot imagine all Sydney went through during her illness. Having experienced brain surgery herself in 2020, Murray knew how difficult recovery and follow-up could be. Sydney endured two major surgeries, including an awake craniotomy, followed by ongoing chemotherapy and radiation. Murray said Sydney showed a stoic strength throughout it all, remaining strong and composed even during the hardest moments.
Her mother is still trying to understand the loss. Shelly said the family and medical team believed the type of cancer was less aggressive and more manageable, and they thought the story would turn out differently. “And the fact that she died within three and a half years is hard to grasp,” she said. The shock and grief remain, but Shelly also carries pride in the woman her daughter became. “I’m just so proud of her and the woman she became,” she said. “She was very loved by many people because Syd just insisted that you love her.”
Shelly believes the love Sydney received helped her give love back. The family has heard from many people who say Sydney touched their lives. Now, Shelly is determined to better understand what happened and whether anything can be learned that might help others. “Things have to make sense, and this just doesn’t make sense,” she said. “I’m determined to make this make sense and find out how we can help people.”
Losing Sydney has also changed the other people who loved her. Murray said one of the hardest parts is knowing she will never again see Sydney’s beautiful smile or receive one of her big hugs. She wishes she had made more opportunities to meet up with her. Murray said, since losing Sydney, “I try even harder to practice gratitude in everyday life and not dwell on difficult situations, because I know Sydney would have found the humor in them.”
When asked how Sydney would want to be remembered, Murray said, “She would want people to laugh and smile when they think of her. Sydney had a way of making others feel amazing and special when they were around her, and I believe she would want people to pass that feeling on and spread happiness.” Shelly shared a similar thought: “Sydney would want to be remembered as a kind woman who loved life, lived it to the fullest, and treated people with kindness.”
That may be the clearest way to understand Sydney’s impact. Her legacy is not measured by one job, one activity, or one accomplishment, but by the people she helped and the relationships she built. She was a daughter, friend, coworker, coach, and member of a community that cared deeply about her. The players she encouraged, the patients she greeted, and the family and friends she loved will carry her memory forward.
There is a familiar saying that “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Sydney’s life reflected that idea. In Potosi, she will be remembered for the way she made people feel: noticed, supported, and loved every day in every interaction. Her smile was part of that, but the kindness behind it is what made it last.