The funeral service for Shaker High School senior Marc Strizzi began Tuesday, Dec. 18, but it carried on long afterward and continues today in an online social networking group.
Once the liturgy was over last week, fliers were handed out for a memorial event at Verdoy Fire Department on Troy Schenectady Road.
Earlier in the day, St. Ambrose Church, which hosted Strizzi’s funeral services, invited friends and family to return that night for a discussion group.
It is all to remember an outstanding student, athlete, friend, brother and son who ultimately lost a long battle with depression.
On Thursday, Dec. 13, Strizzi left school and drove to a high point on the ramp leading to the Patroon Island Bridge over Interstate 787 and jumped to his death. Since then, thousands have been asking why and paying their last respects.
He was an all-around good kid. You could say he had the world by the tail, said the Rev. Francis DuBois during Strizzi’s funeral service.
He was liked by girls, befriended by fellow athletes, in and outside Shaker High School, and was often there for others to confide in.
`I met Marc in seventh grade when I moved into the North Colonie School District. We both played music and both loved to run. When I met Marc, we had a lot in common. But we had one thing different than everyone else. We had depression,` said Justin Bassett.
Last year, Bassett and Strizzi drifted apart. They still saw each other almost every day, ran after school and would speak briefly, but it wasn’t like when the two first met, said Bassett. Upon learning of Strizzi’s suicide, Bassett formed a memorial profile on the social networking site Facebook.com. In less than 24 hours, thousands had joined and left messages, songs and poems in memory of Strizzi.
`I did it more so I could know people would support him,` said Bassett.
A similar profile was started when Harrison `Harry` Carnevale, 17, was killed by a reckless driver in Albany in June.
Carnevale was also well known and well liked. For a lot of people mourning Strizzi’s death, as was the case with Carnevale’s death, the site has provided closure, Bassett said. Strizzi’s personal profile is still up on the site and it is frequented by people saying goodbye.
Following the initial grief and surprise that gripped the community after Strizzi’s suicide, mourners are searching for answers. As far as police know, there was no `precipitating incident.`
Whatever the reason, if there is or isn’t one, is not the question, said Bassett. The focus, instead, seems to mirror comments made by DuBois that the community needs to learn from Strizzi’s life and death and not let this happen to anyone again.
Whereas DuBois spoke of love and re-centering one’s self so that suicide is never an option, Bassett and Facebook.com members are using each other to make their peace with Strizzi’s decision.
`I’m extremely impressed with how people are dealing with this,` Bassett said.
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