Friends mourn teacher killed in crash

STAFFORD — A memorial service was held July 2 for Colonial Forge High School English teacher and Forensics coach Valli Hamed, who died June 29 from injuries sustained in a car crash in Egypt.

Hamed, 60, was visiting family members at the time.

She left behind a husband, three children and three grandchildren, among other family and friends.

Hamed, friends and students say, was ecstatic about visiting her home country all year. It was common knowledge how much she was looking forward to reuniting with her family and celebrating her niece’s graduation this summer, friends and colleagues said.

No details of the accident have been released.

“The last memory I have with her was when she was leaving for the airport, giddy to see her loved ones at home in Egypt” said Lisa Martin, principal of Colonial Forge.

Hamed joined the Colonial Forge Eagles in 2000. She taught English, primarily focusing on tenth- and twelfth-graders, and soon became the sponsor of the forensics team.

“She was a passionate teacher who dedicated herself to the best interest of her students and was very involved, spending whatever time was necessary to make sure they were successful.” said Martin.

Students thrived off her positive attitude and eagerness to help.

“Mrs. Hamed was a really fun teacher — really cool too. The students adored her. We really loved her,” said Zach Walman, a 2009 graduate of Colonial Forge.

“Valli was wonderful to work with — very pleasant. She was also a very respectable and courteous woman. All of us at Colonial Forge are mourning our loss.” said Martin.

With the permission of Hamed’s family, the Colonial Forge teachers, staff, students and parents hope to prepare something as a memorial to honor her, according to Martin.

A Facebook page dedicated to Hamed’s memory had nearly 600 members as of Tuesday. There, students left posts dedicated to Hamed, such as Bianca Richardson, of Colonial Forge.
“…I can’t believe she isn’t here,” Richardson wrote. “She had an impact on everyone because she taught more than English. She taught life lessons. …”

Julie Feng is a Governor’s School student at the Stafford High School site, working with the Stafford County Sun. Reach her at info@staffordcountysun.com. Stafford County Sun Managing Editor Tracy Bell contributed to this report.