Family of Rochester woman fatally hit while walking: 'She was a beautiful wife, mother'

ROCHESTER — Kimberly Lucier's family members on Thursday said they wanted two things: For people to know she was loved, and the driver who hit her found and brought to justice.

Hours later, progress was made on their second wish when police announced Christopher Robinson, 43, of Milton, turned himself in, identifying himself as the driver who struck Lucier. Police said they had not identified a suspect when Robinson contacted them.

Lucier, whose maiden name was Marshall, was killed as a result of injuries she sustained Friday, June 2, when she was walking and struck by a vehicle on Milton Road, according to police. She died at age 60 on Monday, June 5 at Portsmouth Regional Hospital after suffering traumatic brain injuries.

"We want people to know her life mattered," her daughter Debra Ward said. "We want them to know she was a beautiful wife, mother, grandmother, who was kind to everyone, and who deserved better. And we want to know who did this to her."

The family was expected to hold a vigil in honor of Lucier's life Thursday night at the site of the accident.

Ward and Jessica Patton, another of Lucier's daughters, called their mom the strongest person they knew, even when facing heartbreak and challenges. They said she was kind, beautiful, and lived to make others happy. At the time of her death, Lucier was homeless, dealing with personal demons, according to her family members.

But she was always loved, they said. She had four children (one who predeceased her), and five grandchildren. A third daughter, Robyn Munden, lives in Arkansas.

"I am the baby of the family," said Patton. "I am still trying to wrap my head around this. She had the heart of a lion, was so strong. I kind of thought of her as indestructible, that she'd live forever. I can't even find words to say what I feel. All she ever wanted was to make people smile. Family was everything to her."

After Lucier died, her organs were donated through Portsmouth Regional Hospital

"We had an honor walk there," she said. "It was so moving. She would have been so pleased."

The family is originally from California. Ward said she moved here to be near her mom in 1997. Her mom had moved to New Hampshire to be near her own mom, who lived on Baxter Lake.

"She always kept a job, she worked hard," said Ward. "But she faced some terrible hardships, and they took a toll."

Ward said they lost her brother, Lucier's son in 1987. Dino Patton Jr. was struck and killed by a car when he was only 2 years old, she said.

"We were kids, and we were all outside playing," said Ward. "There was nothing anyone could have done."

Then Ward said her mom's siblings began to die, under terrible circumstances. Ward said her sister died of a heart attack in 2005, her brother was murdered in 2003, and her other brother died in a fire in Farmington in 2016.

"It was all too much," said Ward. "Through it all, she put up a strong front. She would do anything, for anyone, literally take the shirt off her back if you needed it."

Services for Lucier were not yet scheduled. Ward said they are waiting for the release of her body. She will be buried in the Rochester Cemetery on Franklin Street.

Kassandra Starcher, whose fiancé Angel Ellsworth is Lucier's nephew, said she didn't get a chance to know her for too long, but she learned how special she was.

"She was such an amazing person with such a great soul behind it," said Starcher. "She was there no matter the situation. She was an amazing woman and I truly wish she had more time on this earth."

"My mom had no idea how many people loved her," said Patton.

Donations to help with funeral expenses are being accepted on at gofundme.com/f/funeral-expenses-in-a-devastating-hit-and-run.

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Family honors Rochester woman Kim Lucier, fatally hit on Milton Road