Oxford Eagle, Thursday, July 27, 2000
Oxford Murder Victim Laid To Rest In Pittsburgh

by Larry P. Walsh, Contributing Reporter

PITTSBURGH, PA - Mourners gathered yesterday for the Pittsburgh funeral of murder victim Wendy Pane Holloway, whose body was found south of Oxford on July 15. Holloway was preceded in death by her father, Richard Pane, and is survived by her mother, Elizabeth Austin Pane of Pittsburgh and her brother, Peter Pane, now of Memphis, Tennessee.

Many friends, former classmates and colleagues attended the funeral service at White Memorial Chapel, offering condolences to the bereaved family of the young woman whose life was cut short so tragically. The pall on her white coffin was made using her favorite flower - 28 blue irises, one for each year of her life. Holloway's long-time friend, Milton Wilenski, delivered the eulogy, and her cousin, Valerie Cooper, read a psalm. Relatives Steven Austin, Brett Collins and Jason Harding; former co-worker Daniel Courrier; and friends Greg Becker and Jake Winslow served as pallbearers.

The bereaved mother was supported by a large group of friends from her Red Cross activities and from her volunteer work as a mathematics tutor. Other mourners included Holloway's former roommate Jenny Sadlier of Seattle, Washington; Stanford University Computer Science Professor Reginald Thorne; TechnoStar Chief Executive Officer Joshua Griggs; and relatives and friends Ashley Davies, Dexter Davies, Laura Pane Harding, Amanda Hansen, Audrey and Harold Pane, Myra Pane, Louisa Pane, Holly and Lou Sinclair, Sasha Sinclair, Morgan Sinclair.

In his eulogy, Milton Wilenski described the young Wendy Pane as a true friend, one with whom he had a friendly rivalry. She was the only person in class who ever beat him in math and science, he said, and she did it consistently every year they were in high school. "I always admired Wendy's brilliance and talent,'' he told the congregation. "She was not one to mess around. She knew when she was right. She wanted to achieve, she had ambition and she had the will to win."

He recalled how she had volunteered to help children with math and computing skills while she was in the final years of high school and later when she was at Stanford University. "She had  a big heart, especially when it came to helping people show their talents,'' he said.

Mr. Wilenski described how the two had stayed in contact over the years despite moving into different fields. "We kept in touch by email and by phone. Wendy would always send me an email birthday card she'd made herself. They were really special. The last time I saw her was in January of this year when she was in town briefly. She was full of life and enthusiasm, invigorated after her vacation in the Far East, and looking forward to a new direction in life in Oxford. We spoke on the phone a few times after her visit, and she even called me the evening before she passed away. Unfortunately I was out and I'll never know what she wanted. She just left a short message, saying she wanted some advice. I'll never be able to help Wendy now, but it makes me feel good that she did call me for some kind of assistance. I was her friend to the end."

After the internment at Homestead Cemetery, a reception was held at Mrs. Pane's home.

The Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department is investigating Holloway's murder and Detective Ted Armstrong is in Pittsburgh to speak to family members and friends.