“Nadalee was a very bright, young, beautiful girl,” said her mother, Lyda Hammons Wilson. 

On March 29, 2021, Thomas Jefferson lost one of our own. 17-year-old senior at TJ, Nadalee Danyell Wilson suddenly passed away in a car accident, leaving behind her mother, three brothers, and two sisters.

Nadalee was a very bright student. She loved attending school and getting to see her friends. She was in the process of applying to colleges to become a lawyer. Friend, Kiya Smith, said that was her dream. She also worked as a dietary aide at Northcrest Living Center. The residents she worked with adored her. 

“They’d always call her Nadine, because they couldn’t pronounce her name,” says Kiya Smith, a close friend of Nadalee. 

Nadalee also loved her dog, Louie, music, cars, and traveling, according to Kiya Smith. She would unwind from her day by taking a long drive in the country and jam to her favorite music.

“If somebody was having a bad day, she could turn it around in seconds just from her cracks and jokes,” said Nadalee’s mother.

Nadalee’s friends and family described her as a wonderful girl who was full of life. Along with becoming a lawyer, she wanted to flip her own houses.

“I know that this can be a very difficult time for friends and loved ones,” says TJ principal, Dr. Dania Freudenburg. “Please know that we are here to support you. Counselors are available for any student who would like to meet with them, or needs to talk. The loss of one of our own affects us all.”