Starbucks Honors SUNY New Paltz Student Who Passed Away

Losing a loved one is hard, but hearing how much of a light their life brought to others is a gift that will live with a family forever.

Sadly, on November 29th of 2020, 19-year-old Cassidy Anne Flood passed away unexpectedly. Flood, who was born and raised in the Kingston area, was a sophomore at SUNY New Paltz and previously attended SUNY Cortland, according to her obituary.

Her obituary also explained how loved she was by so many:

Cassidy was kind, bright, ambitious, had a great sense of humor and loved to make people laugh. Every room lit up when she walked in and she touched the soul of every person she met. Siblings, family and friends were her highest priority: they meant the world to her. She loved helping her dad work on projects around the house, playing games, lounging in the sun, spending time with kids, and hanging out with family

Cassidy also "always had a Starbucks in her hand." She was regular at Starbucks in Kingston.

The folks at Cassidy's Starbucks location on 39 Massa Drive, in Kingston, shared their sadness over her passing. In a statement on their Facebook page they said:

It broke our hearts to hear about the passing of our favorite berry girl Cassidy Anne Flood. She always made us smile when she would order her favorite drink with only one single berry. She never hesitated on saying good morning and would always leave with a wave.

Since Cassidy was such a staple at the Kingston Starbucks location, they decided to honor her by naming her favorite drink after her: The Cassidy Drink: venti very berry Refresher with lemonade, extra ice and only one single berry.