Funeral Services Announced For Middletown Girl, 14

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Funeral services for a 14-year-old Middletown girl who died last Friday will be held this Sunday.

"Family and friends of Jocelyn 'Jocey' Walters are welcome to pay their respects on Sunday, September 18 from 4-8 p.m. at Evergreen Memorial Funeral Home, located at 1735 Rt. 35 Middletown," a friend of the family told Patch Wednesday.

A mass will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Mary Mother of God Church, located at 19 Cherry Tree Farm Road in Middletown. Condolences can be left via the funeral home website: https://www.evergreenmemorialf...

Walters was a sophomore at Middletown High School North, and was a goalie for a travel soccer team. She was also a fan of the band Smashing Pumpkins, and the band posted on social media about her death.

“Her name was Jocelyn Walters and she was 14 years old, she loved the color purple and smashing pumpkins. The SP family are saddened to hear about the loss of young fan Jocelyn (Jocey) Walters," wrote the band on their Facebook and Twitter accounts. "Many of her friends and loved ones have reached out as SP was one of her favorite bands. SP expresses condolences to her family and friends for their loss. If you need it, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org."

"A high school sophomore, Jocey loved music especially the Smashing Pumpkins and soccer was her sport," read this GoFundMe page launched for the family. "She was an outstanding goalie on her travel team. She was whip smart and dreamed of becoming a lawyer. More than anything, she was kind. She rooted for the success of everyone around her and wanted to see the world happy! Beautiful inside and out, Jocey loved her family deeply."

The Walters family wants to start a foundation to raise awareness of the issues teens are battling with today, including prescription drugs, social media, the pandemic, bullying and lack of psychiatric help.

"Our teens need our help. There are issues that are not being spoken about," said the family friend. "How many more kids does this have to take to have things change?"