Yes, Abbie Hoisington had a penchant for talking. After all, her students called her "Gabby Abbie."

Her father, Leland, said she'd just "talk, talk, talk."

Perhaps it was that friendliness that explains why people were still waiting to pay their respects nearly two hours after the listed end time of Hoisington's wake.

"She had fun with people, and people had fun with her," said Leland Hoisington.

Hoisington, 28, of Cranston, comes from a family of instructors, and she aimed to make a career of teaching. She taught special education classes at Burrillville High School, and would have received a master's degree in special education from Rhode Island College this May.

At Burrillville, Hoisington broke the mold, by orchestrating a weekly life skills seminar for the handicapped students. Students brought in recipes, and they all went to the supermarket to buy food and prepare dishes.

Her students wrote: "She expected the best of us, and never gave up on us."

Hoisington went to the concert at The Station because a friend wanted to go, her father said.

Her friend also died in the fire. "You know, they never went there," Leland Hoisington said.

"They went there because it was a good band, and they wanted to meet some people."