Family, Friends, Mourn Young Woman Found In East Hampton: 'She Was Radiant'

A bright light dimmed forever when Sag Harbor's Hallie Ulrich, 22, lost her battle with heroin addiction last week.

A wake will be held at the Werner Rothwell Funeral Home, located at 60 Main St. in Westhampton Beach, on Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Also, a celebration of Hallie's life will be held Saturday, beginning at 5:30 p.m. and lasting until sunset on Long Beach. Those who attend are asked to wear bright clothing to the memorial to honor her memory.

Ulrich, a Pierson High School graduate and a gifted artist, was found dead on the side of a road in East Hampton last Thursday.

But despite the tragic circumstances of her death, her bright smile and beautiful life will leave a forever mark on the many who loved her, family and friends said.

The best way to remember their talented, smiling girl is in her own words, her family said. The following is an excerpt from her college essay to Pratt Institute, where she was studying illustration:

"For as long as I can remember, I have loved to draw. When I was young, I was encouraged to be creative. My sister and I used to draw on the walls of my childhood bedroom," she wrote. "We created a whole world on those walls. We would add to it throughout the years, especially on rainy days. As we grew older, the drawings became more detailed, more realistic, and always imaginative. Through my experiences of making art throughout my life, I’ve learned that there is a real beauty in the ability to draw. I’ve found that making art is the best way for me to express myself in a positive way. I’ve also discovered that in art, and in life as well, you should never give up on yourself or your work." The piece was signed Hallie Rae Ulrich, 2013.

Raising awareness about addiction

After her death, her family has set up the Hallie Rae Foundation, a GoFundMe page.

"After experiencing the unspeakable tragedy of losing their beautiful girl Hallie, whose life was cut short due to the grips of opiates, her family wants to raise awareness and help fight against the epidemic in our community," the page says. "Hallie was a talented young girl with so much promise, as are all our children. We hope to provide more access to greater resources for addiction treatment and education to families who are affected."

To donate, click here.

"Hallie spent the end of her young life fighting addiction. As a family, we are committed to her beliefs, to helping others, and keeping her in our hearts," her family told Patch.

Their first goal is to award a scholarship to a young artist for art school. The second is to empower a young woman facing obstacles to achieve higher education.

"She was a little ball of light"

Holly Zappola said she has been forever friends with Ulrich since kindergarten. "She was my first friend," she said.

Zappola said at first, she got Ulrich and her twin sister Ellison confused. "But after that mixup, I could always tell them apart."

Her friend, Zappola said, was always smiling, laughing, dancing with fluidity and grace, pursuing her passion of hula hooping.

"She was an artist, very creative. She thought everything was magical — she had a big imagination, about fairies and witches. She was really into Halloween. We grew up with our lives revolving around a belief in other things." The best friends loved Harry Potter, Zappola said "We were all over that, total geeks," she said, laughing.

Ulrich and her sister, who also lived in Westhampton Beach, moved to Sag Harbor and began attending Pierson in the seventh grade, "and immediately, everyone thought they were the 'cool twins,'" Zappola said. "She was so beautiful. She was just a happy, giggly person. So sweet."

Her friend, Zappola said, was illuminated from within, sparkling with her very own magic.

"She was a radiant person," Zappola said. "Everyone always wanted to protect Hallie, to take care of her — she was a little ball of light. Just so fragile."

Her friend Elissa Miles agreed. "She was a very kind person who was a kindred spirit. A very gentle person who was kind to all she met."

Zappola believes Ulrich, an artist, "was just so intelligent. She was such a creative writer; her writing was beautiful. She had such a creative energy. She was so empathetic, she felt so much, created so much."

And then, her oldest friend said, Ulrich "fell into the wrong crowd."

It was just about two years ago when Zappola and her other friends learned about her heroin addiction, Zappola said.

"When we found out about it, it was just devastating," Zappola said. "We were all so distraught, and wanted to get her as far away from it as possible. But it's hard to do that." Of the addiction sweeping through a generation, Zappola said, "It's awful."

Hallie, Zappola said, "was in and out of rehab" but seemed to be doing well, writing letters and discovering a new spirituality in Buddhism, trying to keep positive and engaged in yoga. "She was trying to get better, but heroin is a terrible drug. People relapse all the time," Zappola said.

After rehab, her friend then lived in Vermont for a time with family, including a younger cousin she adored.

Most recently, Ulrich, the granddaughter of News 12 anchor Drew Scott, had worked in Southampton at a sculpture gallery and had been painting a large cow sculpture, imbuing the work with her innate talent and unique vision, splashing bright colors and vivid flowers that reflected the vibrant clothes and funky styles she favored.

She'd talked about going back to school, Zappola said.

Despite the fact that initial reports from police said Ulrich was homeless, she had, in fact, been living with a friend in a camper when she died, Zappola said.

Speaking of her friend, Zappola's voice breaks. "I've always loved her, so much. I've always cared about her, but it's hard for a lot of people to stay close to her, when you never knew if she was going to go back," ensnared by the tentacles of addiction, she said.

"The last time I saw her was my birthday in June," Zappola said. Working a busy schedule all summer, she didn't see Ulrich, Zappola said. "I wish that I did."

Her friend's heartbreaking death highlights the need for the East End community to break down the barriers and stigma and begin talking about heroin and opiates and finding ways to help other young people who may be struggling, Zappola said.

"People need to be more open and educated about it," she said. "People hear 'heroin,' and don't want to talk about it, they get freaked out. If Hallie had come to us, or sought us out. . . If she felt comfortable enough to open up and say, 'I'm struggling with this addiction,' maybe we could have done something."

Instead, the magical, ephemeral young girl who was always in motion, dancing with an illuminated hoop in the velvet of night, draped in diaphanous, colorful garb and surrounded by bubbles and light, an elusive, fragile spirit filled with life and laughter, will live forever in the hearts and memories of those who loved her.

Zappola said, of her friend, "She was a beautiful, intelligent, creative, bright ball of energy that lit up every situation — and had so much love in her life."

Photos courtesy of Hallie Ulrich's family and friends.

Video via YouTube