The sudden death of a 16-year-old Berkeley girl, who once survived a devastating taxi accident in elementary school, has left her family, classmates, friends, and admirers with questions.
Lillia Bartlow, a sophomore in Berkeley High School’s International Baccalaureate Program, passed away on March 17, as reported by the Berkeley Scanner.
Lillia Bartlow, who as a 9-year-old captured the hearts of Berkeley residents with her resilience after a taxicab hit her while she was crossing Claremont Avenue near John Muir Elementary, died unexpectedly Friday. She was 16 years old.https://t.co/gsdRWqzv8r
— The Berkeley Scanner (@BerkeleyScanner) March 20, 2023
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On the day she passed away, Bartlow came home from school complaining of headaches, which she had been experiencing since January.
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Doctors had been unable to determine their cause. Lillia’s death occurred in her home, leaving those close to her shocked, especially considering she had survived being hit by a taxi near John Muir Elementary at the age of 9.
As a fourth-grader, Bartlow suffered two broken legs in the accident. Initially, family members anticipated she would be wheelchair-bound for at least a year, but she began walking much sooner.
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The UC Berkeley cheerleading squad and Cal’s mascot, Oski the Bear, were among the many who supported her during her recovery. Bartlow and her father were dedicated supporters of the Cal squad’s games.
Darryl Bartlow, Lillia’s father, called his daughter “an angel,” saying, “I was living with an angel. She was as near perfect as perfect can be in a human being.”
The Berkeley community had rallied around Bartlow since her accident, watching her grow into the bright and inspiring teenager she became.
It’s the first day of school and Lillia Bartlow gets a ride from @BerkeleyFire (she was hit by car in March) pic.twitter.com/L8K3fCced3
— Berkeleyside (@berkeleyside) August 30, 2016
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The Berkeley City Council remembered the teen at the end of its March 21 meeting, and the Berkeley Unified School District released a statement expressing their condolences to Lillia’s family, stating that she would be deeply missed at Berkeley High School and within the BUSD community. The district also offered counseling support to students.
On social media, the school’s College Bound Academy expressed their sadness, saying, “Words cannot express how sad our College Bound Academy family is right now! We will forever remember our College Bound Berkeley Academy Scholar, Lillia Bartlow! Such an inspiring and intelligent CB Scholar full of life!”
The school’s athletics department also tweeted their condolences, acknowledging Lillia as a great person, student, athlete, and cheer teammate.
Lillia’s cheer coach, Tiffany Sutherland, expressed her sadness, knowing how heavily the loss weighs on the rest of her squad.
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Sutherland praised Bartlow’s energy, smile, and laughter, saying it helped the morale of everyone on the team.
As a high school student, Bartlow excelled in academics and extracurricular activities, joining clubs and developing a passion for foreign languages.
She was a member of the College Bound Academy, the junior varsity cheerleading squad, and spoke four languages: English, French, Arabic, and Berber, a northwestern African language.
In addition to her academic pursuits, Bartlow worked part-time at Shirley’s Designs & Alterations in Oakland.
