High school mourns the death of classmate

Charles "Frankie" Morreale, 17, was found unresponsive in his bed by a family member on Friday, according to police. Police said foul play is not suspected.

By: Lea Kahn Staff Writer
On a table outside the attendance office at Lawrence High School, there is an oversized pad of paper and two red markers. On that pad are messages to Charles Francis Morreale III — "Go Flyers," "We will miss your smiling face," "We will remember those summer days."
   Those are some of the messages written by classmates to the 17-year-old LHS senior — an avid ice hockey fan, better known to his family and friends as "Frankie" — who died at his Lawrence home Friday.
   "He was a good boy," said his mother, Dawn Pasquito. "He was more popular than we thought he was. It’s just amazing."
   The cause of death has not been determined, pending the final autopsy results from the Mercer County medical examiner’s office, Deputy Chief of Police Joseph Prettyman said Wednesday. There are no indications of foul play, he said.
   Deputy Chief Prettyman said the boy’s mother found him, unresponsive, in bed around 3 p.m. Friday and called 911. It was not unusual for him to sleep late, but he appeared to be sleeping later than usual so she went to check on him, the deputy police chief said. It was Veterans Day and school was closed.
   Frankie wanted to play on the LHS ice hockey team, Ms. Pasquito said. He loved the Philadelphia Flyers and he was happy that he had a chance to see the team play at the Sovereign Bank Arena, she said.
   While Frankie loved ice hockey and was preparing to try out for the LHS team, he also played lacrosse. He was the goalie for the junior varsity lacrosse team last year.
   "He turned everything into laughter and just really loved sports," said LHS Athletic Director Ken Mason.
   LHS Principal Donald Proffit recalled that Frankie "adored" the Flyers and always wore a Flyers jersey and hat. He was set to attend the first practice for the LHS ice hockey team, which had been scheduled for Friday afternoon.
   He was a boy who "lit up the hallway" as he walked through the school, greeting everyone who crossed his path — regardless whether he knew that person, Mr. Proffit said.
   Frankie’s guidance counselor, JoAnn Lupo, said he was a nice boy who was easy to get along with. His classmates were "stunned" by his sudden death last week, she said.
   The day before he died, Frankie had attended a freshman football game at the high school, Mr. Proffit said. To all reports, Frankie appeared to be in fine condition, he said.
   For many high school students, Frankie’s death is the first experience they will have with death, Ms. Lupo said. That’s why the school has made arrangements for students to speak to guidance counselors, if necessary, she said.
   Acknowledging that it may take time for students to realize the loss, guidance counselors and members of the Child Study Team will be available for at least the next few weeks, she said.
   As soon as administrators learned of Frankie’s death Friday, Mr. Proffit said, they contacted LHS teachers and staff members to inform them. Knowing that students would learn of his death, arrangements also were made to have guidance counselors and teachers in the stands at the LHS football game Saturday, he said.
   Mr. Proffit said he met with the high school football team to tell them what had happened. He held similar sessions with the cheerleaders and the marching band. A moment of silence was observed in memory of Frankie before the football game began.
   "The students were extremely saddened by it, but they appeared to have a good understanding of what took place," he said. "In a community like LHS, when you lose one person, it affects all of us. I told the students to look after the teachers, because they may need some support."
   An announcement of Frankie’s death was made Monday morning, Mr. Proffit said, adding that he and Ms. Lupo visited all of Frankie’s classes to let his classmates know what had happened. One of the hardest things for a teacher or principal to say is that a member of the community has died, he said.
   "An incident like this will bring up feelings we may not be aware of," Mr. Proffit said. "Time is a factor of that. The teachers are always watching out for the students and there will always be a quiet place for them to go to if they need private time."
Sports Editor Jim Green contributed to this report.


Related story:
Obituary (Nov. 17)