Slain Middleborough couple to be honored with ‘Buddy Bench’

MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. — A Middleborough woman who made an unforgettable mark on her town as a bus driver for children with special needs will be honored along with her husband after the couple were murdered last month.

Renee True was a beloved mini-bus driver for Middleborough Public Schools for 13 years, making lasting friendships with families of children she transported.

“She was so easy to trust and so kind, and she didn’t just drive a bus,” said Shelley Berard, mom and president of the Middleborough’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). “She every day showed up with a smile and kind words. She challenged the children to speak, to work independently, to use the handrails. All these things she didn’t have to do.”

True and her husband David were found dead in their home last December. Their younger son, 21-year-old Ryan True, was charged with their murders.

While the community shares in the grief of their family, they’re committed to honoring their legacy of kindness and dedication to their town.

Berard and the council came up with the idea of the “True Buddy Bench,” a granite bench to be installed behind the Middleborough Memorial Early Education Center, near the drop-off area where kids begin their school journeys.

“It really encourages peers – adults and children – to sit to sit down and talk and kind of slow down and build relationships,” Berard said. “And that was Renee.”

The school committee approved the proposal, and donations have begun to pour in.

The couple’s elder son, Doug Hughes, told Boston 25 News the bench is a heartwarming gesture from the community his parents so loved.

“My family and I are appreciative of the support of everyone who has taken part in this memorial,” Hughes said in a statement. “I know my mother loved driving her students around. That was one of the things she loved to do most on a daily basis. We’re very thankful for the support from our family, friends and the community.”

Superintendent of Schools Brian E. Lynch also expressed his gratitude for SEPAC’s efforts in honoring the Trues.

“The Middleborough Public School System is very pleased and proud to support this selfless work being done to recognize and honor the legacy of Renee True,” Lynch said in a statement. “Once this ‘True Buddy Bench’ is in place, it will serve to bring people together in her spirit and will remain as a reminder of an individual who cared deeply for the children and families of Middleborough.”

Donations for the bench can be made via Venmo at @middleboroSEPAC, or at this GoFundMe page.

Any additional funds will benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Berard said.

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