Donna Montelongo

EL PASO -- On the last day of the school year, Morehead Middle School's hallways were covered with posters of wilting flowers and broken hearts.

The posters were made by students and friends of Donna Montelongo, the special education teacher who died Thursday of injuries she received in a motorcycle crash on Wednes day. They used the posters as an outlet for their grief, Principal Ross Mc Alpine said.

Montelongo, 49, was returning from a motorcycle ride to Scenic Drive with her husband of 16 years, Jaime Montelongo, 50, when their Harley-Davidson Sportster ran over a median in the 5300 block of North Mesa Street, slid on gravel and struck a tree about 9:40 p.m.

Police said both were thrown from the motorcycle. They were taken to University Medical Center of El Paso, where Donna Montelongo died and Jaime Montelongo remained in critical condition Friday evening.

The last day of the school year is usually a joyous time when children celebrate their freedom from school and teachers throw themselves an end-of-the-year party. This year, the party was canceled because nobody felt festive after the death of their mentor and friend, said a school employee Armida Monterrosa.

News of Donna Montelongo's death spread quickly through the school on Thursday. Children were texting each other about it and crying, McAlpine said.

Several counselors from neighboring schools were available in the middle school's library to provide comfort and advice to more than 200 grieving students.

"About noon or so, we got the news that she wasn't going to make it. Then it clearly turned emotional. Everyone was very, very upset," McAlpine said.

Monterrosa said she got the news from a co-worker who had been in contact with Donna Montelongo's friends and family at the hospital.

"(She) walked in here all teary-eyed and red and I said, 'No. No,' and she said, 'Yes,' " Monterrosa said.

The posters at Morehead reflected a similar sentiment.

"I love you, Mrs. Montelongo," one of them read. "I will miss you and all the good times we had in lunch when you helped me. We had fun a lot of times."

Sarah Montelongo, the 15-year-old daughter of Donna and Jaime Montelongo, said Friday that she cannot afford to cry over her mother's death because she has to remain strong for her family. She has a 24-year-old brother.

Her father remained in a coma Friday in the intensive care unit at University Medical Center with severe head injuries and fractured ribs, she said.

She said her mother would not have wanted anyone to be sad about her death.

"She would want people to just be happy and know she's in a better place," Sarah Montelongo said.

Donna Montelongo's co-workers said they will always remember her as the bright spot in their day. They said she always had a smile on her face, kind words to say and a tune on her tongue.

"She loved '70s music," Monterrosa said.

Sarah Montelongo said her family plans to cremate her mother and scatter her remains at the ocean. She said the Pacific Ocean will probably Donna Montelongo's final resting place because she had once lived in California and never stopped talking about how beautiful it was.

Funeral arrangements had not been made as of Friday.

Sarah Montelongo said her mother was supportive and good at giving advice. Donna Montelongo often told Sarah that she should never give up, no matter how difficult times get, she said.

"She would always tell me there's a light at the end of the tunnel," she said, "and that's what's keeping me going right now."