Mr. Iudicini

          During Reid’s senior year I remember sitting down to organize my thoughts inorder to write a college recommendation that Reid had requested.  I had a list of his accomplishments and, of course, my own experience of having Reid in English 11 Honors.  His would be a joy to write.  There was so write and, personally, I had developed a respect and fondness for this fine, young man.

            The other day I went searching for that recommendation in order to recall some of the more detailed facts of Reid’s high school life.  I found my letter.  There was my high recommendation on the basis of his proficient writing, his perceptive interpretive skills in literature, his enthusiastic class participation, and even his most recent project in senior class—a presentation on the symbols in Golding’s Lord of the Flies that gained the accolades of his senior English teacher for “its skillful use of technology and insightful content.”

            The same serious commitment to his studies was also present in his involvement in activities beyond the classroom.  And then followed the astounding breadth of Reid’s involvement that can only be highlighted here:  his countless hours of volunteer service in and out of school, his membership in the National Honor Society and various honors and awards, his service in student government and the school publications, and his love of music as evidenced by his participation in the school bands where he played saxophone and in the North Shore Youth Symphony Orchestra where he played violin.

            His athletic involvement was a category by itself. After founding and recruiting an LHS Swim Team as a cooperative with Reading’s team, Reid went on to become a captain of the team and placed in Sectional and State Championships.  He became a team record holder for the 100 yard breast stroke.  He ultimately placed in National Championships for this event with the YMCA of the North Shore.  Reid accomplished these feats despite lengthy operations to rectify damage done by a childhood disease that caused abnormal development of the hip joints.  Crutches, wheelchairs, rehabilitation, and regular back and leg pain did not deter Reid from resuming his athletic involvement or from maintaining honor status in his academics.  Reid was not a stranger to adversity even before his more recent illness.

            My recommendation contained the following lines in the conclusion:  “Reid is an exceptional individual whose quiet courage and determination is only matched by his sincere concern for others.  Despite his accomplishments and his triumph over difficult personal adversities, Reid remains a self-effacing young man whose reserved demeanor reflects maturity well beyond that of the typical high school student.”

            Today, while these words are still true, they fall short of capturing the totality of what Reid became as he faced the greatest challenge of his life.  Reid was a remarkable and extraordinary human being.  He left us in spring, a time of rebirth and life.  But then, Reid’s legacy to us is about life and how to live it.  While many philosophies allude to the preciousness of life, Reid was the very embodiment of such a belief.  He truly lived his life to the fullest.  Every obstacle in his life became a challenge he needed to overcome on his journey to experiencing, enjoying, and giving as much as possible.  Indeed, Reid accomplished in his short life what many do not come close to accomplishing in the course of a full lifetime.  I know I speak for the faculty and staff at Lynnfield High School when I say that those us who knew him will always remember Reid.  His special blend of perseverance and humility, is tenacity, his courage, his compassion, and his hope will be a source of inspiration and a reminder of how we should appreciate and live this miracle called life.