THE pain of Stephanie Scott’s death is still incredibly raw for her family.
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But one thing that does give her loved ones nursing broken hearts strength is the support and love shown by the Leeton community.
One year after her death, the impact of her short life is still felt far and wide.
Her father, Robert Scott, said as time went on, the depth of their loss became clearer.
“It takes time to sink in what you’ve actually lost,” Mr Scott said.
“When it all happened in a bit of a hurry it was very sad and very distressing, but as time progresses you realise just how deep the loss is because of the way she’s impacted on your life.
“(The pain) is not just going to disappear, grieving is an ongoing process and when you’ve got someone who was such a delight to have in your life there’s a lot to miss.”
The Scott family still receives cards and letters filled with words of support and in return they attend events held in Stephanie’s honour and meet with people touched by their daughter.
In February, Mr Scott visited Leeton High School to see an amphitheatre being built in his daughter’s memory. When he was introduced as “Steph’s dad”, the students’ faces lit up.
On Saturday, Mr Scott and his wife, Merrilyn, were in Albury to present the Stephanie Scott Cup at a women’s league tag competition. Fittingly, the Leeton Greenies won the event.
“Our whole family has been amazed at the way she’s been received,” Mr Scott said.
“It didn’t matter whether you met her for a day or she’d been part of your life for an extended period, she just had an impact on you.
“She was very vivacious, very genuine in what she said and the way she formed relationships with people.
“She was just an absolute joy, a happy girl who enjoyed her part in sports and the teaching life and being part of the Leeton community gave her a lot of pleasure.”
Mr Scott said his daughter had coached Leeton High School’s girls soccer team. He said the winning teams in the Bill Turner Cup, an inter-school soccer competition, would be presented with Stephanie Scott Memorial Shields.