When Nicole “Nikki” Phillips graduated from Weston High School in June, she seemed to have the world by the tail. The bright, enthusiastic scholar athlete was popular and well-respected among her teachers and peers.

By all accounts, she was looking forward to attending Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, where she would major in psychology.

But on Sunday, Nov. 19, just five months later, things came to a crashing halt for Nikki, 18, and her friend Richard Cardinale, 19, who were both found dead of an apparent drug overdose in Nikki’s dorm room.

Autopsies were performed by local authorities, but no further information on the exact cause of death has yet been released. (See obituary on this site.)

Nikki was the only child of George and Renee Phillips, longtime Westonites. They describe her as someone who loved people and had a great sense of humor. “She loved every moment of life and looked forward to the future with optimism... She had a warm, giving nature and an easy, infectious smile. She could laugh like no one else. She was an amazing person and will be greatly missed,” they said.

When the tragic news spread to Weston, it was met with shock, disbelief and a sense of aching sadness by those who knew Nikki well. “It was horrible, so unexpected,” said David Burstein, a friend of Nikki’s.

Nikki’s former boyfriend, Jarred Fixler of Weston, quickly organized a special remembrance service in her honor on Saturday, Nov. 25, in the cafeteria at Weston High School. Since many college students were home for the Thanksgiving holiday, the service drew a crowd of more than 150 people, including friends and teachers.

Among the people who spoke at the service was Sarah Border, a freshman at Boston University and co-captain of the volleyball team at Weston High School on which Nikki also played.

“Nikki was an amazing person. She had a great laugh and smile and made the whole team laugh and smile with her,” Sarah said.

Her parents described Nikki as an athlete who always demonstrated leadership and good sportsmanship. She was known for her grunt when she served the volleyball, which “often scared her opponents and delighted the crowd,” they said.

In Nikki’s honor, the high school’s volleyball team said the Pledge of Allegiance and had a moment of silence in her memory at the school’s athletic awards ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 21.

Nikki was an honor roll student and was fluent in Spanish, and will be missed by many, according to Rose Marie Cipriano, principal at Weston High School.

“It’s a sad time when a community loses a former student, especially one that just graduated. People knew Nikki in so many ways. She represented Weston High School with dignity while she was a student here,” Ms. Cipriano said.

The week before the holiday, David Burstein, who graduated with Nikki, called her to say hi. He was looking forward to seeing her over Thanksgiving. The two had been good friends for 10 years and shared a special bond because their birthdays were just one day apart.

“She seemed to be doing fine,” David said. “Her last words to me were ‘see you soon.’”

David learned about Nikki‘s death from a source many teens use these days to communicate. When he signed on to his computer e-mail on Monday, Nov. 20, he had two messages directing him to a “memorial wall” for Nikki Phillips on the Facebook Web site, a site geared to high school and college students.

At first, David couldn’t believe what he was reading. “There were all these heartfelt thoughts and tributes to Nikki, and that’s how I found out she died. I just started to cry. No one has any words. It’s just impossible to get your hands around it,” he said.

When news reports said Nikki died from an apparent drug overdose, David was further saddened. Drug use “was an issue we often talked about. I feel she knew it was something she shouldn’t be involved in. She never defended it and was never in denial. She said she knew what she was doing,” he said.

It would be a big mistake to jump to conclusions about Nikki based on the circumstances surrounding her death, David said. “Drugs did not define her. Being a friend, listener, and caring about others was who she was,” he said.

“Nikki was someone who understood people. You could talk to her about anything and she was honest. She had the ability to be friends with people of all social circles. Nikki was very special to a lot of people,” he said.

David attended the remembrance service and said it was important to share in the grief and comforting of others during this difficult time. “The members of the Class of 2006 are very close, and we needed this,” he said of the service.

He hopes that something positive can come from Nikki’s death because that is how she would want it. “Nikki was always looking for the best in things and would have wanted people to make something positive out of this,” he said.

The teachers and staff at Weston High School are also mourning the loss of Nikki Phillips, who was well liked by them.

“They are grieving, too,” said Lynne Pierson, superintendent of Weston schools. “This is a process and it will take time to work through the feelings we all have when a youngster passes away,” she added.

When the schools were informed of Nikki’s death, the guidance counselors and school psychologist were alerted and their services were made available to any student or staff wanting to talk. “There are teachers who had Nikki as a student for several years and they are just in shock,” Dr. Pierson said.

Dr. Pierson said as a mother and grandmother, she was touched by the unfortunate end of Nikki’s life. “Young people don’t always understand the reality and consequences of their actions, which is why we as caring adults worry about them. It’s so important for them to understand that decisions they make may have unexpected consequences that they can’t even imagine in their young lives.”

Dr. Pierson was glad the remembrance service at the school could provide a time of comfort and support for Nikki’s classmates and friends. “Our hearts go out to this young woman’s family,” she said.

The Phillips family, including her parents, grandmother, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins who live in the area, expressed gratitude for the outpouring of community support they have received.

“The prayers, cards, food, flowers, and expressions of sympathy have been greatly appreciated. We would like to acknowledge our appreciation to Jarred Fixler and his family for arranging the service at Weston High School,” they said.

A service to celebrate Nikki’s life is scheduled to be held at the Unitarian Church on Lyons Plain Road in Westport on Saturday, Jan. 6, at noon.

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