Members of the Wesleyan baseball team stood in two solemn lines outside the Chapel on Tuesday afternoon until the South College bells rang their final peal. Their presence concluded the service in honor of their pitcher Terence Leary ’06, who died on Nov. 4.
Leary’s family, friends, teammates and professors gathered to share memories and celebrate the life of the 19-year-old, whose unexpected death left the campus reeling.
The main floor of the Chapel was filled as attendees listened to speakers chosen to represent aspects of Leary’s childhood in Rockville Centre, N.Y., as well as his primary activities during the three semesters he spent at Wesleyan. Among the speakers were President Douglas Bennet, Leary’s father and cousin, representatives from the baseball team, a high school friend and classmate at Wesleyan, a fellow Psi U brother and a member of the faculty. The University’s Roman Catholic chaplain, Father Louis Manzo, presided over the ceremony, and the Wesleyan Singers sang a hymn in Leary’s honor.
Leary, whose body was found beneath a Main Street bridge after a 12-hour search process, was portrayed in the speeches as happy, attractive, easy-going and generous. Leary’s father, Douglas Leary urged students to think of his son’s positive nature when they had difficult emotional experiences.
“As you have heard today, every story about Terence has a happy ending,” Leary said. “It was always his nature to smile and be happy, so when you’re down, think of Terence’s smile; when you’re overburdened, think of his laugh; and when you feel compelled to escape remember that you’re not alone.”
Douglas Leary continued, emphasizing the caring and supportive nature of the Wesleyan community.
“Do not think of Wesleyan as just brick, mortar and books,” he said.
He went on to thank the Bennets and other members of the University administration and staff for their support.
“What’s the happy ending here?” Douglas Leary asked. “It’s that we’re here together as a family.”
Many members of Leary’s large extended family were in attendance at the ceremony. Megan Gray, Terence Leary’s cousin, spoke as a representative of his 15 cousins and his 10-year-old brother Dylan.
She recalled growing up with her cousin on Long Island and watching him develop into a fun-loving, troublemaker with what she described as a soft and gentle side. Gray also discussed Leary’s early baseball successes, including leading his team to the New York State Little League Championships at age 11 and pitching a perfect game during his senior year at New York City’s Regis High School.
Bennet spoke about the ceremony’s purpose in beginning the process of healing for the campus community and the Leary family.
“I hope that through this process, the Leary family, especially Dylan, will come to know Terence’s friends here at Wesleyan,” Bennet said. “It is evident that Terence’s friendship touched the entire campus.”
Alexander Brooks ’06, a baseball teammate, recalled the antics that he and Leary would attempt when they were together, including being spending the night of St. Patrick’s Day in an Irish pub in Fort Lauderdale and persuading Public Safety to drop them off at a Denny’s restaurant off-campus. He said he would miss Leary’s irrepressible cheerfulness and the silly messages he left on the whiteboard outside his door.
“I think Terence was the only person who doubted the strength of his own character,” Brooks said. “He had a combination of mind and spirit that very few people are fortunate enough to possess.”
Jesse Levin ’06, another teammate, said Leary was always smiling and dressing up in outrageous outfits.
“I miss doing everything with Terence, but more than anything, I miss doing nothing with him because that was when Terence was at his best,” Levin said.
Baseball coach Mark Woodward, who found Leary’s body the week before, said his team’s pitcher was a rare example of a talented player with a small ego. He presented Dylan Leary with an honorary position on the team and a baseball bat signed by its members.
A fellow Regis High School graduate who came to Wesleyan with Leary, Matthew Mulqueen ’06 spoke about the four years the two spent together at the small, all-boys, Catholic high school.
“There wasn’t a single person from our high school who didn’t like Terence,” Mulqueen said.
He described the long train, subway and bus ride they took each morning and afternoon to get from their Long Island homes to the school on Manhattan’s upper east side, recalling how Leary would arrive late each morning with his homework half done and a smile on his face.
According to Psi U brother Tobias Wasser ’06, Leary’s optimistic attitude put him at the center of attention at Wesleyan as well. He added that Leary’s modesty kept him grounded, despite his popularity.
“Terence was completely oblivious as to how special of a kid he was,” Wasser said.
Professor of Classical Studies and Department Chair Andrew Szegedy-Maszak spoke on behalf of the faculty. Szegedy-Maszak was Leary’s professor for a Greek history class this semester. He said that despite the description provided by Leary’s friends about his tendency to procrastinate, Leary had impressed him with his desire to write an extra paper to prove his knowledge of the subject matter.
Szegedy-Maszak also mentioned the importance of the Wesleyan community’s ability to respond to tragedy.
“At Wesleyan, we openly acknowledge how the death of someone in the community affects us all,” Szegedy-Maszak said.
The hour-long ceremony was followed by a reception at the President’s House.
Last Saturday, over 50 members of the Wesleyan community traveled to Leary’s home to attend a funeral Mass at St. Agnes Church. The church, which is among the largest on Long Island, was filled to capacity.
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