Jonathan Miller may not have physically been on the field of Blakeslee Stadium in Lewiston on Sunday night, but his spirit clearly filled the more than 500 mourners who packed the bleachers for a memorial service for the teen who died a week ago in a one-car accident.
“This has been a very difficult week for the entire Lewiston community,” Lewiston-Porter High School Principal Paul Casseri told the gathering of both teens and adults. “I’ve been in education for 20 years and have never seen a young man who touched so many people.”
Miller, 17, a senior varsity football player who was immensely popular with his classmates, died when the SUV he was driving veered off Lewiston Road and slammed into a tree. Emergency personnel said they found Miller pinned in the car with no vital signs.
He was wearing a seat belt and the SUV’s airbag had deployed.
“Jonathan Miller will never be forgotten,” said Chelsea Pelsone, a friend and member of the Lew-Port High Class of 2010. “We will miss his laugh and miss his smile. He was a kind person and the greatest example of what a good person is. He is now an angel watching over us.”
Pelsone told the mourners Miller “gave us hope and faith to continue on.”
“Live by faith, one day at a time (Miller) used to say,” Pelsone recalled.
Varsity football coach Richard Lindamer told the gathering that Miller’s jersey, No. 76, will be retired at a special ceremony at the homecoming game next year.
“J-Mill was a very special guy,” Lindamer said. “A great teammate and a special person.
As he spoke of Miller, Lindamer’s voice choked with emotion.
“We will miss him greatly,” the coach said. “He will be remembered for what is really important, not the wins or losses, but the friendships we build and the time we spend together.”
Lindamer told Miller’s parents and siblings, “Your strength, compassion and love have been inspiring. You have our deepest sympathies.”
His teammates told those in the stadium that Miller was “big-hearted” and “never let anything get in his way.”
“This has to be the hardest time of my life,” teammate Joe Meyers said while choking back tears.
Amid hundreds of flickering candles and after the high school senior choir sang “Amazing Grace,” Miller’s sister, Alyssa, told his classmates, teachers and friends that his family was grateful for all that’s been done to remember him.
Wearing her brother’s football jersey, she said, “It’s made us feel the best we could. ‘J’ lived, breathed and loved Lewiston-Porter.”
Communities
Related Photos
-
Albert T. McCracken jr
-
Albert T. McCracken jr
LEWISTON: Hundreds pack Lew-Port stadium to celebrate the life of Jonathan Miller
- Communities
-
-
Niagara USA Chamber hosts awards ceremony Thursday
Politicians, civic leaders, friends and family gathered to mingle over food and drinks, and recognize members of the small business community at the Niagara Falls Country Club on Thursday.
-
A Festival of Lights making a comeback?
Move over Niagara Holiday Market.
Make way for the return of A Festival of Lights?
-
Falls officials unveil new LaSalle Waterfront Park
John Mikula has been working for years to turn the prime piece of real estate on the upper Niagara River into a public recreation space residents of all ages can enjoy.
-
Driver safety message driven home
The Grim Reaper paid a visit to Niagara Falls High School on Monday to illustrate a point about driver safety.
A student dressed up like death himself patrolled the scene of a mock traffic accident in the high school's rear parking lot as part of a program designed to send a message about the dangers of drinking while driving and distracted driving.
-
City getting exercise stations for elderly at Hyde Park
Senior citizens will have a new way to stay fit in Hyde Park this summer.
Exercise stations specifically designed for the elderly and handicapped will be installed over the coming weeks, thanks to a $25,000 health and wellness grant from New York state. -
Relay for Life continues to grow in the Falls
Sometimes, you just need to smile.
That's the message 6-year-old Madisyn Tolfa delivered at the fourth-annual Niagara Falls Relay for Life event at Sal Maglie Stadium Friday.
-
Falls' Relay For Life giving cancer the boot
If cancer is ever going to be beaten, there are some who believe it could be beaten by feet.
-
Playing up Griffon Park in LaSalle
Mayor Paul Dyster announced plans for a new playground in Griffon Park to a small group of civic leaders and city employees Tuesday morning.
-
Aquarium of Niagara: Newly arrived rescued harbor seal seems right at home
The little harbor seal couldn’t know how lucky she is.
Two years ago she was found off the coast of Masschusetts, frail and emaciated, and disoriented from an inner ear infection. She couldn’t feed herself and was near death.
-
Charlie the Chimp on ‘How I Met Your Mother’ tonight
Niagara Falls’ own Charlie the Chimp will appear on tonight’s episode of “How I Met Your Mother” at 8 p.m. on CBS, channel 4, according to handler Carmen Presti.
- More Communities Headlines
-
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
Raw Video: Fight Erupts in Ukrainian Parliament
Texan Ranchers Remain Wary of Drought
Raw Video: Soldiers Plant Flags at Arlington
NJ Official: NYPD Muslim Surveillance Legal
Police: Man Arrested in Etan Patz Disappearance
Hurricane Forecast: 15 Named Storms Expected
NYC Protests: the Revolution Will Be Scripted
Chicago U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald Resigns
Neighbors of Etan Patz's Suspect: It's Shocking
Search Intensifies for Missing Louisiana Woman
Bloomberg: Man Implicates Self in Etan Patz Case
NYPD: Person Implicated in Etan Patz Death
Raw Video: Fire on Nuke-powered Sub in Maine
Illegal Burn Suspected in Nevada Fire
Obama: 'We've Got More Work to Do'
Astrologers Predict Outcome of Presidential Race
Gulf Fishermen Reel From Seafood Troubles
Stuntman Makes Skydive Without Parachute in UK
