Gendie Miller, 49, from Ligonier, Pennsylvania, tragically died on July 23 after being struck by large tree branches at Renzie Park in McKeesport. She was there with her husband, Bill, to watch their 16-year-old daughter, Marlee, during a softball camp.

Bill Miller recalled hearing a cracking sound just before the branches fell. “To be so traumatic, and with the heavy load of the type of branch and limb, it was devastating. And I can tell you that she didn’t die from her heart, because her heart’s too big,” he said.

Friends and family described Gendie as a kind, supportive mother who never missed her daughter’s practices or games. “She would never miss a practice or an event… That was who she was,” Bill shared. A GoFundMe set up by Coach Michael Mull has raised nearly $50,000 to help with expenses.

McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko called the incident a “horrible accident” and sent condolences to the Miller family. The community is rallying around Bill and Marlee as they face this unimaginable loss.